TEHRAN -- The screenplay is one of the major elements of cinema, but in recent years, screenplays have been blamed for most of the problems and weak points in Iranian cinema.

In response to this trend, Iranian screenwriters elaborated on the problems they face in interviews with ISNA published on Tuesday.

Minu Farshchi said that the screenplay is blamed for every problem a film confronts, adding, “Has anyone compared a bad film with its original screenplay? I am sure we have no screenplay problem when we compare our works with the best screenplays in the world. We see no big difference.

“But in the international cinema, the scenario is changed into something better than the original screenplay, and all the ideas in the mind of the screenwriter are combined with the creativity of the filmmaker in the best possible way. There is no fear of a shortage of negatives and all the cast and crew make their best efforts to produce a good film.

“When I hear that the blame is put on a screenplay in every situation, I become angry. Even in the recent statement of the jury of the Fajr Film Festival, this was mentioned. But they should know that screenwriters know their job quite well.”

Fereidun Farhudi believes that the profession of screenwriting is now finding its rightful place in the country, adding, “This means that screenwriting is now becoming a major element in the cinema of Iran, and it is natural that this field is held responsible for all the difficulties.

“Of course, it is partly correct, too, since, due to the limitations we face in this field, the profession is not very developed yet, and screenwriters need more knowledge and experience.

“Perhaps the screenwriter does not have great talent in writing, but often the filmmaker also does not have sufficient skill to make it into a good film, the producer is not prepared to invest in the film and, in most cases, the actors lack a good understanding of their roles. All this shows that screenwriting has not yet attained a good status in Iran.”

Jaber Qasemali said, “Although it is said that the screenplay is a major element in film production, it seems it has always been treated as a minor element instead.

“Some of the problems are rooted in the theme of the film, and some in the writing. So, themes and stories must be developed and varied in our country.”

Mohsen Damadi believes that the main point is that there is no investment in the field in Iran, so the result is predictable.

“The public sector is usually the investor, so one can not expect a screenwriter to do research and write a special screenplay on his own. When film producers can purchase copycat versions of screenplays of Indian and Hollywood movies at a good price, very few writers will be interested in doing research work.”

He went on to say that one should not put the blame on the screenplay after production.

Producers prefer screenplays with smaller casts, less outdoor scenes, and settings in apartments in which husbands and wives are involved, he added.

“So one can not expect to see a developed national cinema, and this will lead to a steady decline in the number of cinemagoers each year,” he said in conclusion.