by Matthew Waldron

What exactly was Joe Stalin so afraid of? 

Besides imperialists. And reactionaries. And Trostky. Empathy. And his own shadow. What was it that made Uncle Joe so terrified...of a guy (or gal) with a camera? Did he feel his "revolution" (more so a vicious "coup", but that's another story for another context) was on such shaky ground? Had he not murdered enough of the Bolshevik Old Guard to consolidate his power? Had he not had Molotov play footsies with von Ribbontrop, "securing" (ha...) peace on the Eastern Frontier? Did everyone not fear him enough? 

Most importantly - were the Russian people - his people - so childishly / helplessly susceptible to cinema's alleged-powers-of-persuasion they had to be sequestered, like X-ray techs behind a lead wall, from its wicked, brainwashing properties? Is cinema really THAT powerful? 

Despite the massive amounts of empty space and cotton balls making up the majority of the interior of his skull, Dubya, for all his endless faults, has to at least be given this much- he clearly (somehow) knew better. It's hard to imagine a single film produced across the entire Soviet bloc that would've carried as much popular dissent within its frames as Fahrenheit 9/11. For all that vacant space there still remained, miraculously, enough sense between Dubya's ears to disregard the paranoid notion that a single film would, or could, "bring down the Republic." And he was right- Michael Moore had his say, made millions, won an Oscar, and yet our flag was still there. In less than a year Dubya was re-elected. 

Tragically Jafar Panahi was born Iranian. Though, to his credit, he would characterize it such. Still, Iran's "Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance" has banned every one of his films. His government wants him to leave the country. In a display of character clearly beyond the reach of his oppressors, he refuses. 

His fellow countrymen (the short-sighted ones in charge, at least - the rest of the country seems to really dig his work) (but really, what do "the people" know...?) believe Panahi's films, mostly irreverent, neo-realistic depictions of not-always-perfect Persian domesticity, are such a threat to their continuing "revolution" (there's that word again...) in 2010 they were compelled to arrest him, his wife, his daughter, and 15 associates.

Because he makes movies...

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