Exclusive interview: Bijan Birang

In an exclusive interview with ifilm, Iranian producer and director Bijan Birang talks about his filmmaking career and experience.

Below is a rough translation of selected parts from the interview conducted by ifilm in Persian:

ifilm: Bijan Birang has been successful in determining what viewers want. How were you able to achieve this understanding?

Birang: This is a question that I think about myself these days and I believe that being close to the society and being in touch with the problems and needs of the people helps the artist to better relate to their viewers. People’s needs are important. Need is what is intriguing for the audience; this is important and each creative work should be realistic. If we discover these needs and present them to our viewers, we will succeed; then people will feel respected. Not only me but anyone who find the main needs of the audiences has in fact embraced them with respect.

ifilm: Discovering viewers need is true but there have been many productions with motto in mind but they were forgotten and only a handful remained in people’s memories. So, how is need defined here?

Birang: Need is not an easy matter and could not be easily talked about. You have to live among people and then their needs will be manifested in your work. Merely saying that people need to laugh or cry and then make a television series will not result in an enduring and exquisite work since these needs would be commercialized. A work might reach the center of attention at one point but will soon be forgotten as it has been made upon a fleeting need; some needs are permanent though. At the moment I think that what our society needs is to talk about love which is a subject that has not been discussed much. If we pay attention to this need of the society we can hope for better series to be made which will be welcomed by the people. People must learn about love, everyone, spouses, women, men; they should all learn about love. I believe that one of the responsibilities of performing arts is to talk about love and healthy relationships.

*Interview conducted by: Ghazal Nahani

HY/HY