Long-banned drive-in movies return to Iran amid coronavirus

Workers spray disinfectants on cars that line up each night under Tehran’s iconic Milad tower after buying tickets online for what is called the “Cine
...
File photo: People sit in their cars watching a movie in a drive-in cinema at the Milad Tower parking space, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Tehran, Iran. (VIA REUTERS)
File photo: People sit in their cars watching a movie in a drive-in cinema at the Milad Tower parking space, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Tehran, Iran.

The new coronavirus pandemic has brought back something unseen in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution: a drive-in movie theater.

Once decried by revolutionaries for allowing too much privacy for unmarried young couples, a drive-in theater now operates from a parking lot right under Tehran’s iconic Milad tower, showing a film in line with the views of hard-liners.

Also check these Vehicles

Find more Cars
Toyota Land Cruiser (HT Auto photo)
Engine Icon3346 cc FuelType IconDiesel
₹ 2.10 Cr
Compare
Citroen Basalt (HT Auto photo)
Engine Icon1199 cc FuelType IconPetrol
₹ 7.99 - 13.83 Lakhs
Compare
View Offers
Skoda Superb (HT Auto photo)
Engine Icon1984 cc FuelType IconPetrol
₹ 54 Lakhs*
Compare
Mahindra Xuv 3xo (HT Auto photo)
Engine Icon1497 cc FuelType IconMultiple
₹ 7.49 - 15.49 Lakhs
Compare
View Offers
Jeep Wrangler (HT Auto photo)
Engine Icon1995 cc FuelType IconPetrol
₹ 67.65 - 71.65 Lakhs
Compare
View Offers
Aston Martin Vantage (HT Auto photo)
Engine Icon3982 cc FuelType IconPetrol
₹ 3.99 Cr
Compare

Workers spray disinfectants on cars that line up each night here after buying tickets online for what is called the “Cinema Machine" in Farsi. They tune into the film's audio via an FM station on their car radios.

Also Read : Airport turned movie theater for cars in Lithuania during Covid-19 outbreak

With stadiums shut and movie theaters closed, this parking-lot screening is the only film being shown in a communal setting amid the virus outbreak in Iran, one of the world's worst. Iran has reported more than 98,600 cases with over 6,200 deaths, though international and local experts acknowledge Iran's toll is likely far higher.

File photo: With stadiums shut and movie theaters closed, this parking-lot screening is the only film being shown in a communal setting amid the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. (VIA REUTERS)
File photo: With stadiums shut and movie theaters closed, this parking-lot screening is the only film being shown in a communal setting amid the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. (VIA REUTERS)

“It was very fascinating, this is the first time this is happening, at least for people my age," said Behrouz Pournezam, 36, who watched the film along with his wife. “We are here mostly for the excitement to be honest, the movie itself didn’t matter that much. I didn’t care what movie it is or by whom or which genre."

The film being shown, however, is “Exodus," produced by a firm affiliated with Iran's hard-line Revolutionary Guard. The film by director Ebrahim Hatamikia focuses on cotton farmers whose fields die from salt water brought by local dams. The farmers, led by an actor who appears to be the Islamic Republic's answer to American cowboy stand-in Sam Elliott, drive their tractors to Tehran to protest the government.

(See more pics: Drive-in movies come to rescue in a locked down Iran)

There is precedent for this anger. Iran had built dams across the country since the revolution — especially under hard-line former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — that environmentalists blame for damaging waterways and farmland. But this film instead involves “a peasant protest against the local authority that symbolically resembles President Hassan Rouhani’s government," the state-owned Tehran Times said.

File photo: An Iranian couple sits in their car watching a movie in a drive-in cinema at the Milad Tower parking space, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Tehran, Iran. (VIA REUTERS)
File photo: An Iranian couple sits in their car watching a movie in a drive-in cinema at the Milad Tower parking space, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Tehran, Iran. (VIA REUTERS)

Rouhani, a relative moderate in Iran's Shiite theocracy, has increasingly faced hard-line criticism amid the collapse of his nuclear deal with world powers. Those allied with his administration have criticized the film.

Moviegoer Atefeh Soheili, however, was glad just to enjoy entertainment outside of her home.

"Now I’m sitting here with clean hands and if I want to eat something or relax I don’t need to worry about distancing from other people," she said.

Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.

First Published Date: 05 May 2020, 11:30 AM IST
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS

Check Latest Offers

Please provide your details to get Personalized Offers

Choose city
+91 | Choose city
Choose city
Select a dealer

Want to get the best price for your existing car?

Powered by: Spinny Logo
By clicking "View Offers" you Agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy
Dear Name

Please verify your mobile number.

+91 | Choose city
Couldn't verify the OTP.
It's either expired or it's incorrect.