Soundscape of a National Cinema Industry: Filmfarsi and Its Sonic Connections with Egyptian and Indian Cinemas, 1940s–1960s

ABSTRACT:This article considers the release of Siamak Yasemi's 1965 commercial Iranian hit Qarun's Treasure in the context of Iranian cinema's historic and competitive relationship with Egyptian and Indian cinemas in the mid-twentieth century. I trace the development of a national cinema industry in Iran through sound practice in order to demonstrate that fīlmfārsī was born out of its sonic and material connections to the film industries in the Middle East and South Asia. Through a focus on sound and industry, my article expands Iranian cinema historiography beyond national frameworks and methods of textual analysis.