The Dialectic of Progress and Decay: Two Documentaries on the Modernization of Tehran during the Pahlavi Era, Ahmad Faroughi’s Tehran, Today (1962) and Kamran Shirdel’s Tehran is the Capital of Iran (1965)

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The Pahlavi era’s notion of modernity, despite achieving moderate success in some aspects, encountered significant challenges during its implementation. The formation of a collective driven by utopian fantasies of progress ultimately resulted in dramatic failures. In response to this failure, the state resorted to propagandistic measures to advertise the successful aspects of modernization project, and superficial reforms to maintain an image of modern Iran, promoting a narrative of progress. However, there was hidden side to this “progress,” the narrative of decay, defeat, and catastrophe. Inspired by Walter Benjamin’s theory of progress, this essay aims to examine the dual nature of the Pahlavi modernization project through two documentaries focused on the modernization of Tehran: Ahmad Faqroughi’s Tehran, Today (1962) and Kamran Shirdel’s Tehran is the Capital of Tehran (1965). The analysis suggests that Faqroughi presents the state-sponsored narrative of progress, while Shirdel explores the narrative of defeat and catastrophe that coexists with, and arises from this “progress.” By shedding light on the reality of the Pahlavi era’s modernization project, this study provides insights into why, towards the end of the 1970s, cities like Tehran witnessed a growing number of individuals who resisted what was supposedly a “progressing” and “modern” Iran.