Why is the Minister of Education’s claim that 1,000 plays will reach the festival strange?/ Realizing the impossible in the world of fantasy

Charso Press: Mohammad Mohajeri, a “fundamentalist” political activist, in a note for Etemad newspaper (August 1401), pointed out a point that Ali Sufi, the minister of cooperation in the second government of “reformist” Mohammad Khatami, had also mentioned in an interview with Khabar Online (April 1401); “The development of statistics in the 13th government”. Mohajeri wrote: “The term “bulletin maker” has been added to the political literature of our country for many years. A bulletin maker is said to be someone who chooses information the way they want. They cut them, they arrange them according to the taste of the person who reads them, they prepare beautiful covers and excellent paper for them, and they are artistic! They give what they have in their mind to the audience and then they also write theories and give guidance to follow each news and article. This work is not specific to a particular group and faction, and there are people on both sides of reformism and fundamentalism, such a noble job! And of course they have bread and water. “Bulletin makers are always appreciated and sit at the top because they put their hand in the knowledge of the whole and complete wisdom, and because they quickly become a “man who knew a lot”, they are also trusted.”
In his statement, Ali Sufi unintentionally said something that works as a complement to Mohajeri’s statement: “Sada and Sima are also trying to show the record of Mr. Raisi’s government and economic indicators positively. “Statistics in this government is very bold and some ministers are more active in presenting statistics that are contrary to reality. For example, the oil minister announces statistics about the boom in oil exports, which is met with disbelief by the people and widespread criticism by experts.”

Afshin Ashuri, the head of Nasr’s Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Commission, was another person who implicitly confirmed the existence of such a procedure to the managers on January 8: “Even now they say that we have brought the Ita application and destroyed WhatsApp, if we can Should we tell the business owner who had international communication through WhatsApp to come to the Iranian platform? Now the Ita application has taken the place of Telegram and WhatsApp?!

Not long ago, at the end of the meeting of the government board, the minister of guidance joined the spectrum of providers of reliable statistics; Esmaili said: “The atmosphere of Fajr Film Festival and Fajr Theater Festival, which now has more than 1000 works, is very good. The music festival is also in a good situation and I think we are in a very good situation in these three festivals and the visual festival and…” (Wednesday, December 7, ISNA)
“More than 1000 works” reached the theater festival? In the circumstances that society and artists have been greatly affected by the situation of the country in recent months, and this cannot be denied. Reviewing the statistics of applicants for the last few years of the festival gives different information in this field, because the number of groups applying to participate in the festival cannot deviate from a rule and logical mathematical process that can be studied. In the same way that the government cannot build one million housing units every year, because the government’s ability to mobilize constructive social forces and the budget deficit do not allow this at all. Or the government cannot build even 2 stadiums similar to Azadi Stadium within 4 years; But the cultural statistics presented about the theater festival say something else. Apparently, managers have succeeded in realizing the impossible despite all kinds of economic and social crises in the performing arts.

From another angle, the task of cinema is also clear.

Considering the production capacity of Iranian cinema, all of which are under the monopoly of the government, – for example – how is it possible that in 1400 there were about 90 films applying to participate in the festival, but the same figure reached 200 films in 1401? In any case, enlarging the dimensions of unreal numbers should also be subject to logic, a logic that “fits” in the famous saying; This is unfortunately absent from the Ministry of Guidance’s theater statistics. What is the basis of this conclusion? Browse history!

The thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth festival
Farhad Mohandaspour, the secretary of the 36th Theater Festival and one of the well-known performing arts teachers and directors in 1996 reports: “Last year [منظور سال 95] 450 DVDs had arrived at the Fajr Theater Festival Secretariat, all of which had to be seen. Something that is very terrifying and impossible and seems impossible, so it was more appropriate to adjust the way of examining the works in a more reasonable and comprehensive way. I believe that these steps taken can help Fajr Theater Festival to find its social meaning.”

open parenthesis; Contrary to the current propaganda news and non-specialist approaches in holding regional and provincial festivals, the works of selected groups from all over the country have entered the festival and been staged every year. To this credit, nothing extraordinary and new has happened in the current period. closed parenthesis
In the 36th edition of Fajr Theater Festival, 18 shows in the Iranian theater overview section, 19 shows in the Iranian theater competition section (section A), 20 shows in the Iranian theater competition section (section B), 17 shows in the international theater competition section, 4 shows In the selected section of Iranian University Theater, 2 shows in the selected section of the Kurdish Theater Festival, 13 shows in the Guest Shows section, 8 shows in the Theater of Nations section, in the off-stage section (6 shows in the Unusual Places competition section, 12 shows in the off-stage section) stage, 7 shows in the Unconventional Places competition section), 16 shows in the street theater competition section, 8 shows in the Fajar Provincial Festivals section, 9 shows in performance practice and also the production section of the Fajar Dramatic Literature Award (3 shows in the professional section and 3 shows in production department) participated.

The thirty-eighth festival
Nader Burhani Marand, the secretary of the 38th Fajr Theater Festival in 1998, presents a report of the current situation, in the main part of which, after explaining social events (which is not similar to today), he writes: “But the current situation: to participate in the competitive part of 249 There has been direct demand in addition to 60 shows from provincial theater festivals. Despite being satisfied with the quality of the works of the applicant, the selection board introduced a larger number of works due to the limitations of the judging table arrangement of 15 shows (6% of the applicant’s works and two more shows than the number listed in the call). This panel strongly believed that at least six more shows could be introduced from among the 249 applicant shows. These comments indicate the presence of many quality works among the applicant’s shows. Also, the selection committee of the winners of provincial theater festivals has introduced 12 plays to the competition section and two plays to participate in other sections. The shows that appeared in the competition section through the secretary’s invitation could have been more than the 5 shows mentioned in the invitation, but I considered myself bound by what was mentioned in the invitation to invite the guests of the competition section. On the other hand, only 50 shows applied for participation in the non-competitive section (199 shows less than the competitive section except for 60 works introduced from the provincial festivals) and the selection committee of this section consisting of Afshin Khurshid Bakhtari, Ali Asghar Dashti and Ali Abedi eight shows ( 16% of the applicant’s works). I also came across a significant number of quality works, based on the invitation, I could invite a maximum of eight shows.” (January 18, 2018)

The thirty-ninth festival
The 39th and 40th editions of the festival were largely affected by the spread of the Corona virus. For this reason, the upward or downward trend of groups applying for attendance is not very valid. For example, in response to a question about the 30% capacity of theaters and its difference with the Fajr Film Festival, Hossein Musafir Astane, the secretary of the 40th edition, explains: “Since the cinema had started pre-selling 50-70% of its theaters before the announcement of the Corona headquarters, there are commitments had given The 30% capacity limit will definitely cause us problems, and for this reason, we have ruled out “selling” tickets at least in small halls. I hope that by easing the crowding, we will be able to use 50 or even 100% capacity of the halls, so that part of our problems in receiving the audience and guests will be solved.”
Masafir Astane also provides explanations about the reason for the non-participation of other provinces in the 40th edition of the festival, which also mentions the same “special” social conditions. “We took action for the participation of provinces in the festival a long time ago, but due to the conditions of the country, few provinces announced their readiness. We also had talks with the free zones, which underwent political and management changes and the memorandums and agreements were changed.”

The 40th edition of the festival has no statistics!
Perhaps it is a symbolic incident that by referring to the Fajr Theater Festival information archive section, the only period in which detailed comprehensive information on the number of participating groups is not included is the 40th period. That is, the first year that the 13th government undertook this ceremony! What we read in this section:
“The 40th Fajr International Theater Festival was held from 17th to 26th of Bahman 1400 under the supervision of Hossein Masfar Astane in Tehran, Yazd and Gilan provinces. The organizer of this course, like the previous ones, was the Department of Performing Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and Mehdi Dowai designed the main poster for this course.

Vahdat Hall, theaters of Shahr Theater including the main hall, Chaharsu Hall, Shadow Hall and Qashqai Hall, Iranshahr Auditorium (Ostad Nazerzadeh Kermani Hall, Ostad Saarigian Hall), Molvi Hall, Hafez Hall and Azadi Tower in the stage section, the outer area of ​​Shahr Theater Complex and the area The House of Iranian Artists in the street section and the Ostad Tazami Hall of the House of Iranian Artists in the Radio Theater section hosted the performances of this period of the festival.

In this period, in addition to commemorating five veteran artists, the festival will be held in the categories of stage shows (grand competition), stage shows (non-competitive), theater of nations, street theater, other performing arts, radio theater, playwriting competition, poster competition, photo competition and research. became.”

This is the way you go…
Now we are here; The 41st edition of the State Theater Festival is coming soon and the directors are presenting statistics that do not read with any statistical evaluation table. 1000 works applying for participation in the festival with a thumb count – assuming that at least 10 people are involved in the work – that means the involvement of 10 thousand people in the process of constructing the shows. At all, let’s consider 4 people involved in making a show; Does that mean 4 thousand people are working at this moment? Here it is up to the reader of the report to put on his hat and see if he sees such a socio-artistic force in the theaters across the country and on the training plateaus. At all, we take the mentioned statistics honestly on the minister’s desk, we even ignore the statements of one of the secretaries of the past periods (Farhad Mohandaspour) who said that the review of 450 films received by the secretariat is “a very horrible and impossible and impossible thing”. Nevertheless, it is not bad for the secretary of the festival and the general director of performing arts to explain that first of all, in what format and format (DVD, festival format, etc.) did these 1000 works reach the secretariat? And secondly, what is the review mechanism? And how is balance and justice supposed to be observed between all these shows?

The expression of these figures in the journalists’ group should be considered as the result of the minister’s trust in the middle managers and advisers who must be very capable! Managers who, if we proceed in the same way, are not unlikely to claim that the Iranian national football team will pass the group stage of the World Cup and win over Argentina! why not! But what can the continuation of this process achieve except moving in the darkness of wrong numbers and the analytical errors that follow, and of course more damage to the artists?
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