Indigenizing the Crime Genre in Iranian Cinema: Social, Cultural, and Spatial Foundations in Khuzestan

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 IRIBU

2 Associate Professor, Department of Cinema, University of Art, Tehran, Iran

10.30480/dam.2025.5881.2000

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of indigenizing the crime genre in Iranian cinema by focusing on the socio-cultural and geographical specificities of Khuzestan province. Drawing upon genre theory and the structural elements of subgenres such as detective, gangster, and suspense thrillers, the study aligns these frameworks with local realities. The first part analyzes the internal mechanisms of the crime genre, emphasizing its narrative flexibility and capacity to reflect social tensions. The second part introduces Khuzestan as a fertile ground for developing crime narratives, due to factors such as honor killings, tribal conflicts, arms possession, contraband networks, and informal justice systems. The study reveals that visual and narrative elements such as informal neighborhoods, borderlands, armed subcultures, and anti-legal traditions in Khuzestan provide rich material for genre storytelling. Archetypes like the local investigator “Farizeh” or tribal theft masterminds allow for the construction of culturally specific protagonists. The paper argues that creative engagement with these native elements could pave the way for a fully localized crime genre, shaped by Iranian realities and resonant with domestic audiences.

Keywords

Volume 16, Issue 43
December 2025
Pages 88-103

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