Iran's Islamic Guidance Ministry has banned the promotional use of images of two prominent actresses who have voiced opposition to the mandatory hijab law from the newly released film Popular.
The film's director, Soheil Beiraghi, disclosed via an Instagram story on November 8 that actresses Fatemeh Motamed-Aria and Baran Kosari were barred from having their faces used in promotional materials after Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili, Iran's Islamic guidance minister, appeared to widen an existing ban on promotional materials featuring those who have spoken out publicly against the hijab.
Beiraghi said that in response to the ban, he removed all images from the film's promotional materials and instead printed the names of the three main cast members, both male and female.
While judicial authorities have summoned the actresses and others to court over their stance on the hijab law, the Islamic Guidance Ministry has said that due to violations of hijab regulations, these artists are now barred from working.
"It is not possible to work with those" actresses who had previously protested the mandatory hijab by appearing without it in public places and events, Esmaeili said last month.
Katayoun Riahi, a veteran actress, made headlines when she removed her mandatory hijab in solidarity with nationwide protests against the Iranian government after the death in September 2022 of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody after allegedly breaking the head scarf law.
Civil disobedience in Iran involving anti-hijab acts has increased since Amini's death. Authorities have responded with a brutal crackdown on all forms of dissent, detaining thousands across the country.
In a move aimed at minimizing the financial fallout of the ban, films already featuring these actors will continue to be shown, according to the ministry's Cinema Organization.
The ban has faced criticism from various quarters, including the Etemad newspaper, which argued that banning actors' faces from film promotions could harm a movie's success.
Mohammad Khazaee, head of the Cinema Organization, suggested that an apology for "unveiling" could potentially be a prerequisite for the female actors to resume work.
Riahi, who is one of the banned actresses, said the suggestion is a nonstarter.
"My dignity does not allow me to work in today's cinema? Who the hell are you to say so?!" she wrote on social media.
The hijab became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new authorities. Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing.
Violators of the hijab requirement can face up to two years in prison, although proposed legislation would increase the maximum sentence to up to three years for repeat offenders.
While the protests appear to be waning, resistance to the hijab, or mandatory head scarf, remains high as it is seen now as a symbol of the state's repression of women and the deadly crackdown on society.