Analysis of being a man in Sacred Defense Cinema. The Case of Hatamikiya’s Bodyguard

Abstract

The political developments in Iran at the end of the 20th century, particularly the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war immediately after the revolution in Iran, had a deep influence on storytelling in general and movie-making in particular. This gave rise to new social definitions, including a unique form of masculinity. The war, with its masculine atmosphere and Shi'ite-rooted ideology, gave birth to a new definition of masculinity, which can be seen reflected in the Sacred Defense Cinema genre. Sacred Defense Cinema has played a significant role in defining gender with Islamic roots. This paper aims to shed light on Iranian cinema, specifically the Sacred Defense Cinema, through an analysis of Hatamikiya's film “Bodyguard”.