Veiled Voices in Postrevolutionary Iranian Cinema

This book examines the vocal presence of women in postrevolutionary Iranian cinema. The research explores the concept of the veiled voice, which conceals the bodily aspects of the voice and suppresses its discursive elements. Studying the "veiling" of women's voices in New Iranian Cinema, how they relate to authoritative voices, and their limitations in cinematic spaces, the book addresses the detachment of women's voices from their bodies in some films. The book argues that this detachment is often used as a feminist strategy to bypass constraints on female portrayal on camera. The book dissects how these voices are often marginalized within the cinematic space, either structurally, narratively, or due to patriarchal adherence. It also discusses the concept of the acousmatic voice, particularly in the context of Iranian cinema, where the female voice-off is used as a spatial veil, contributing to the marginalization of women. Although Michael Chion's concept of the acousmêtre is based on classic Hollywood cinema, this book shows that the mere presence of an off-screen voice does not ensure a predictable impact in the filmic world. In New Iranian Cinema, influenced by factors like modesty rules, the off-screen voice untethered to a body can serve as a presentational strategy rather than just a cinematic narrational device. The book also investigates the unveiling of the female voice as a subject of aesthetic admiration and desire within the cinematic realm, navigating censorship through religious and cinematic elements and explores how cinematic spaces manipulate the presence and embodiment of the unveiled voice to avoid revealing its true source. The book is also informed by the author's experience as the first woman sound designer working in the Iranian film industry.