‘Soraya M.’: Shaping Hollywood with Our Wallets
by Seth MitchellLast week, I finally saw “The Stoning of Soraya M.” at a special screening. The film tells the haunting and disturbing tale of an innocent Iranian woman murdered in cold blood in a tyrannical society. It has been reviewed numerous times here at Big Hollywood, and I will spare you another, other than to say it is a deeply moving and effective drama.
While the story itself is quite unnerving and will sit with you for days, what is most upsetting about the film is that it did not hit the mainstream in the way that it deserved. This is unfortunate because the story of Soraya should be heard all over the world.
So often we hear of the injustices that occur in our world today, shake our heads and move on to our daily tasks not wholly understanding what we have just talked about. This film doesn’t allow us to do that. Instead, the film places a vivd and graphic picture of the suffering and torture that is occurring in our world at this very moment. This film is not about promoting political ideologies, or pushing religious dogma, but rather is about bringing awareness to a topic that is almost altogether ignored by our society, and does so with the highest of artistic integrity.
As we seek to change the worldview of films that are made in Hollywood, it is incumbent upon us to support films like “The Stoning of Soraya M”, which simply tell a story, raise awareness, but do not preach. If we, as viewers, want Hollywood to continue making films like this we must show the industry that these films are financially viable. Therefore, I urge you to purchase a copy of “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” when was released yesterday on DVD. If we are to help Hollywood to ever get back to a stage where it tells stories that are worth hearing, we can start by showing the way with a little cash. In this town, that speaks louder than words.
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64 Comments
Obviously you know why the film had zero mainstream appeal. It was impossible to blame a white male, Christian, wealthy, Conservative for the atrocities.
Or maybe no-one wanted to see woman get horribly murdered with subtitles. Absolutely no-one on any part of the political spectrum saw the movie. Had people rallied behind it and filled theaters in cities where it showed, it'd have made a little money. Can't blame its failure on liberals–conservatives avoided it, too.
If the goal is to support the producers of the movie (as well as to broaden the exposure of an excellent film), then may I recommend linking to Amazon from the movie website: http://www.thestoning.com/
By going through the website, they'll very likely get added funding from Amazon for whatever is purchased.
I saw this movie and was still shaking twenty minutes after leaving the theatre. It was easily the most powerful movie I have ever seen. When I discussed it with a feminist friend who is a Hollywood insider, she dismissed it outright, on account of who was responsible for making the film, and their connection to the Passion Of The Christ. This "feminist" friend lectured me on my closed-mindedness and admonished me that what is wrong in my reality is not necessarily wrong in Iranian-Islamic culture. The mental disconnect was astounding and sad. I'm not just sayin', I'm judging.
Ok, just voted with my dollars at Amazon.
Great article and I totally agree. If we are to combat the films that we see coming out of Hollywood, we need to support the film that offer the alternative.
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I make a point to see non-liberal movies to support the films and makers of such films. A lot of conservitave films are just plain bad films. This one is a major exception. It is an outstanding and powerful film, however I find it hard to recommend to my friends due to it's extreme brutality.
Note: every time a friend recommends one of his favorite and (most likely liberal) movies I make it a point that he see a conservative film. Of course his list is much longer than mine.
I don't think I've ever met anyone that has seen a movie based on who produced it.
Maybe your friend should be stoned (not in the fun way) for a few minutes then asked what she thinks about it afterwards…..
This movie sounds great.. but, the bad thing is that it doesn't fit into the statis quo.. meaning it is not SLANTED against America and thats why Hollywood hates it…..
When I heard about this movie, I desparately wanted to see it and I looked for it for weeks and it never showed up in theaters in this town (oklahoma city). But I intend to see it on dvd as soon as I can get my hands on it. As far as the point that no one wants to watch someone brutally killed in a movie on date night, what rubish! There is a whole catatagory of torture porn dedicated to whatching people horrobly tortured and killed on film- SAW 1 2 3 4 5 6, Hostel, Kill Bill, ect…….. But when someone makes a movie to expose inhumanity like Sorya, or Passion of Christ, people people all of a sudden get all rightous about violence in film. Baffling.
maatkare "Or maybe no-one wanted to see a woman get horribly murdered with subtitles on date night."
For sure let's rather see Twilight, Halloween, Kill Bill, etc. etc. I don't believe it has as much to do with the sensibility of the audience as it does to the faux sensitivity (and/or fear) of the underlying philosophy that lead to the execution. It seems that as a culture we are whistling through the graveyard hoping that little scream we hear is but a figment of our imagination.
Exactly. There are a million equally, if not more, violent films that were successful. Difference is, they were torturing/murdering "evil" white people.
As always, multiculturalism trumps feminism. So a barbaric practice that intentionally causes excruciating death is "not necessarily wrong" in another culture.
Perhaps many people who would find such a movie admirable and spellbinding are simply scared to watch it, precisely because they already feel for the victim. They agree with its message and may feel they ought to see it but it is not something they look forward to. But once you have seen it, it may have been a rewarding experience. I didn´t want to watch Schindler´s List either. But afterwards, I was glad I did.
Keep judging!
About 25 years ago I met a young self-described "total feminist" and socialist. Iran was still in the headlines and when I mentioned the oppression of women there she snapped at me: "That´s different. That is their culture."
My first conscious experience with relativism. I was a bit of a liberal back then but that was perhaps the beginning of my move towards conservatism. The pro-Soviet pacifists did the rest.
The shunning of "Soraya M" by the elites highlights the idiocy of a subculture which claims to fearlessly opposed to everything racist/sexist/anti-gay/judgemental.
Here they champion the cause of a religion which has resulted in perhaps the most racist/sexist/anti-gay /judgemental culture imaginable.
The Left doesn't really oppose these things; they just loathe the culture which makes their pampered lives possible..
Don't you get it? This film which shows a girl getting murdered by a religious group is not political expedient for the left MSM at this time…think about if a right wing group who targeted a church or a person how this would be perceived by the MSM…they are such hypocrites and the Hollyweird crowd are so left wing that they didn't want to touch this with a ten foot pole…Where are the liberated woman's groups crying out in this country? No word because they are a bunch of hypocrites too they are left leaning, so this film went practically unnoticed because the MSM purposely disregarded it…there was no white, rich, conservative to kick around, so that is why Not to get off the subject, but do you hear any anti war protesters anymore? No because their guy is doing the war now. Another bunch of hypocrites too.
Don't underestimate the power of the Oprah, or Tyler Perry. Their names generated a ton of awareness of the film that wasn't there when it was first shown at film festivals. They jumped on and championed it, it got bought, booked & most important, butts in seats.
Well said!
But this doesn't explain why conservatives didn't go see it, does it?
"‘Soraya M.’: Shaping Hollywood with Our Wallets"
"Last week, I finally saw “The Stoning of Soraya M.” at a special screening…"
"Therefore, I urge you to purchase…"
Was that "special screening" a freebie for you, Seth, since you are an actor and producer? I'm hoping you paid your own way in light of the title to your article. I'm not trying to throw a bomb here, but I hate being told what "I should do" by people who don't do it themselves. Just curious.
Fair point…I have purchased my own copy of the film, and I also paid to go to the screening.
This film is truly a game-changer — cinematically it's sharp, and it has something to say. But we have to use it as a teachable moment to illustrate how this behavior is a part of Islam — we can no longer say "radical Islam." Islam is a political movement that is the antithesis of every principle on which the USA is founded — it has to be exposed.
For anyone who doesn't know, Netflix has this film ready to watch instantly.
Yah I had hard time going to see, "The Big Loveable Ape Gets Shot Down, Falls 102 Floors"
and i havent seen this film and do feel utterly guilty, since i believe in the cause.
email marketing reviews…
Superb post, I like how you’ve structured it…
It's not the fact that Stoning has less killing in it, it is the disconnect from reality going to the movies is about. I go to the movies to be entertained, I can get plenty of reality (and I do) from the news. I may end up seeing this movie out of sheer curiosity aided by the massive amount of good reviews, but stuff like it is not usually on my radar.
Frankly you're friend should have saw it and criticized it. Something tells me since we are talking about the makers of both "The Passion of The Christ" AND "Path to 9/11", she would have plenty to say. I will watch this movie with an open mind but there is NO WAY it is not dripping with right wing idealogy. I think Shohreh Aghdashloo is an excellent actress but it's a shame she appears to be attracted almost exclusivity to right wing projects after the rather brilliant "House Of Sand And Fog". But I'll give it a shot.
I meant it more as a vehicle for a grass roots push to make a conservative-leaning film a hit that might otherwise be ignored by the mainstream, a la that movie Kirk Cameron did about the firemen whose name escapes me. IIRC it was heavily promoted by churches and that contributed to its success, as was "Passion of the Christ."
But it wasn't shunned by just the elites…it was shunned by _everybody._ Ain't just the elite's fault in this case.
In my queu, will try to watch this Friday or weekend when the kids are out.
Oh, shut up.
as opposed to every other film where the white christian male saves the world !
maybe if the movie depicted the truth instead of relying on isolated incidents to depict the brave Iranian women as weak and in need of outsiders to rescue them, the film would have generated support. This film was funded by pro Israeli groups steadfast as depicting Iran as needing outside help. To undermine efforts by Iranians who are trying to establish rule of law and civil rights.
Hollywood makes anti American films …since when?? Hollywood is run by pro Israeli Jews who put a Jew in every film to somehow make Jews in America seem larger than the 2 million minority they are. They also put a huge amount of films where the White American Male hero saves the world only because he fell in love with the pretty minority girl and not because it was the right thing to do..the latest Avatar!…give me a break..Americans are so gullible it's unbelievable!
I am glad you are not hiding your agenda NeoConJedi..criminals like the neocons funded this film for the sole purpose of political gain against the IRI against the Islamic Republic. Morons like you come in here and preach your hatred towards 2 billion Muslims so that those Nazi Zionist can keep the Palestinians occupied land. You go out of your way to show violence from Muslims yet no one is allowed to criticize Israel in United States before their career end abruptly. If you care about human right go see why they are still dragging blacks behind cars to their death in Alabama and Texas and why the Israelis with your tax dollars are killing women and babies then come here and spew your hatred!
True, but since Christians tend to stand up for human rights often regardless of the faith of the locals, Soraya M. wouldn't seem too outrageous a cause for churches to take up.
I vote with my dollars every week when I don't ever attend ANY Hollywood movie.
The big problem with this movie is the title. It ruins all suspense and it threatens to show you something terribly disturbing. They don't name movies like this. They don't name movies "The Boat Sinks", "The Destruction of the Death Star", "The Author Got Butt-Raped" and "The Author's Brother Got Butt-Raped", they name them Titanic, Star Wars, The Prince of Tides and The Kite Runner. If this was called "The Hidden Story of Soraya", women would want to see it. They don't want to see a movie where the pretty main character gets stoned and you're told that going in.
James T, why are you so obsessed with hating Jews?
Use churches to promote the movie? Why, I it wasn't pushing an ideology according to the writer of this article?
"Passion" and "Fireproof" are not just conservative leaning movies…they are Christian movies. So again, I think the reason for it being pushed by churches clearly shows their agenda.
I went to this movie in order to support a film that shares my point of view. I will buy a DVD and share it with friends. As conservatives we need to do more than complain the pollution of our culture by Hollywood. We need to support our conservative brethren who are fighting behind enemy lines.
Would be interested in a listing of films having white Christian males saving the world that were made in the past ten years.
There are many who don't like violence so don't see violent films. It's much worse when the violence didn't come out of Tarantino's head so you can tell yourself "it isn't real, it isn't real". This IS real. Not only Soraya,
but the 16 y.o. who was hanged (Iran) because she stabbed her rapist. I'm sure there are horror tales coming out of Iran over the treatment of homosexuals, too. Hollywood is not interested in filming any of these for a couple of reasons:
1) This industry is not long on courage. Films demonizing corporate execs, white Christian males, evangelists, American middle class might get a few gripes on BH, but nothing happens to the producer/director/star. Make a film about Muslims and you just might end up on a Fatwa list.
2) It's hard to make America out as a misogynistic culture when women are being stoned, hanged, beaten and burned alive in more "noble" cultures.
Hollywood has an agenda, just like the USSR had an agenda, just as the Nazis had an agenda, just as Chavez has an agenda and none of them stray off message.
My God is your head UYA
Notice your friend has not emigrated to Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Perhaps more of us would have seen the film had they cut away at the stoning. It might not have been as effective in shock value but would have drawn in people like me who don't watch violence. I did see "Kandahar" which was bad enough and there were no stonings.
I see Antisemitism is alive and well on the Left as it always has been. The wonder is that Jews never catch on.
Maybe people feel if they confront the culture they might be forced to do something about it . We're inundated constantly about the miseries in sub-Saharan Africa, asked to send our dollars and our foreign aid to relieve the suffering of these people; we're horrified by the plight of the Haitians and websites are set up for us to send our dollars. But dollars won't fix what's wrong with Islam and films like this force us to take a look at that.
Or it could be that women are intrinsically horrified by the idea of a trapped woman being stoned to death whereas a sinking boat that drowns all people seems more egalitarian.
The Left are very immature and childish — not the "leaders" but rather the "useful idiots" that Lenin put to such good use. Because nothing bad has ever happened to them nor even seen such things as a woman being stoned to death, they're unable to conceive of it. Instead, they're like little kids worried about the nonexistent monster under the bed.
Because, Calumet7, that's what antisemites do.
Your statements make it impossible for you to watch the movie with an open mind!
Wow, you really had to dig deep for that one James. NeoConJedi did not mention Israel or the Palestinians. Sorry to shatter your delusional world, but the need to suppress is something within all of mankind (men and women). Even your beloved Muslims. People do bad things. This is about power and suppression in the guise of religion, as it usually is. And NeoCon's brillant idea to educate, way harsh. I mean what better way to spew hatred than to enlighten others of the horrific atrocities against women occuring in a medieval culture. Greg Mortenson, shame on you for recognizing the problem in these countries and actually doing something about it. James, you obviously are passionate about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, awesome. Your comment however, did not belong here. Not only do you seem to dislike Jewish people, but women as well.
I don't think one can blame the MSM for the failure of stoning. Opinion was mixed (some thought it was great, some thought it was too violent, some thought it was manipulative) but opinion was also mixed about 'The Passion of Christ' and that made dumptruck loads of money.
The unlovely truth is that downbeat foreign language films about current events tend not to do well (I don't think the excellent South African film 'Yesterday' saw theatrical release in NA and most retailers didn't bothered to stock it). Its not because people are hostile or unsympathetic, but most people watch movies for entertainment. Watching a tragedy with real life analogs (I interned in Pakistan and I have a good idea of the horrors woman live under) playing out is the opposite of fun for most people.
Hey, if you guys got Netflix and watch it now, "The Stoning of Soraya M" is now available to watch. Since I have an Xbox 360, planning on watching it this weekend. Can't wait. Still going to pick up a Blu Ray (if available) or DVD at the store as well. Need to add to my collection.
Lots of reasons why "conservatives" didn't go to see it:
1) They don't like to watch violence
2) They don't want to see true torture of an innocent (not the nonexistent Gitmo torture of mass murderers)
3) They know there is nothing American can or will do about the treatment of women in Islam
4) They don't go to ANY movies
5) The propaganda media didn't write about it
6) Talk Radio, Fox and the conservative web sites didn't give it enough promotion
[...] Reviews: John Nolte at Big Hollywood Pam Meister at Big Hollywood Chuck DeVore at Big Hollywood Seth Mitchell at Big Hollywood Christian Toto at Big Hollywood Christian Toto at Pajamas Media Ed Morrissey at Hot Air James [...]
What a bunch of bulls&*t.
This movie is just more do-gooder/progressive agit-prop in the same vein as "Inherit the Wind" or "12 Angry Men".
Progressives are attempting to geld Middle Eastern society in the same way they gelded America.
In the movie "Soraya" is innocent, but was she really?
Considering our media's commitment to lying, we will never know.
Iranian [Islamic] society has it's own rules and it has a right to it's own rules.
One big rule is: If you are sexually promiscuous they will kill you.
The easy way to avoid being killed is to not break the rule.
This rule, which is very ancient has contributed greatly to the stability of the nuclear family and through that the stability of society as a whole.
When the omniscient progressives tamper with that rule they tamper with the very foundation of Middle Eastern civilization.
The progressives are entirely aware of this, and that is the whole point:
Progressives are by nature termites, maggots, rust and rot.
Progressives are by nature destroyers: They create nothing.
[end of part one]
Good point. Your suggested title also allows that the movie might be about more than "she dies in the end" which might encourage more people to watch it. (And it is about more than that, isn't it?)
[part two]
So, say for a moment that the progressives get their way, and the Iranians eliminate this law; what's next?
An Iranian Alfred Kinsey and Kinsey report?
An 80% divorce rate with concomitant parentless children?
Abortion clinics in Teheran?
Rampant gay sex in the streets as in San Francisco? http://zombietime.com/up_your_alley_2008/
That is indeed what the progressives have planned for the middle east.
Actually America needs to import and implement this stoning idea.
We can begin by stoning all progressives and their families.
But that would require Americans to have a sense of right and wrong.
That would require Americans to have the ability to become outraged in the true sense of the word.
The same kind of outrage required to stone an adultress as someone who has spit on the very foundation of your culture.
Americans have no capacity for outrage.
Americans have sold their souls to the maggots, the termites, the purveyors of rot and rust.
Americans are lost in sensuality and ennui.
America: R.I.P.
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