Abstract

That media affects and is affected by social changes is an axiom which needs no contemplation and is what naturally occurs in reality. However, the interaction between media and political developments is an issue which, in varying social situations and time periods, emerges in a variety of forms. Therefore, addressing the kind of association between sociopolitical changes and Iran’s cinema developments is a problem which is of utmost significance; in that it sheds light on the place of this media in Iran. Reviewing Iran’s sociopolitical changes as well as its historical developments, the present study attempted to address the socioeconomic place of cinema from its emergence to the end of 80th decade in Iran, with a documentary and comparative approach. Accordingly, given industrial nature of cinema and also by comparatively investigating developments in these two areas, the research sought to explicate on the issue on the basis of Rational Choice Theory. From this perspective, a social act is not considered rational unless the actor selects ways of achieving its goals on the basis of its beliefs as regards various social acts and possible consequences. It was revealed that in terms of its interaction with social changes, Iran’s cinema resorted to passivity, silence and projection rather than addressing the issue.