Cell Phone Videos and Revolution: A Look at Iran’s Post Election Fallout

Nika Khanjani, Concordia University

For several weeks, starting from June 12, 2009, consumer video cameras, cell phones, and video networking sites provided the means and platform for hundreds, if not thousands, of images of protest and state-inflicted violence to be witnessed by the rest of the world. The post-election fallout in Iran this past summer gripped our short attention spans for almost ten days and gave rise to discussions and debate about notions of authenticity, credibility, and what happens when the making of the image and its distribution is in the hands of the people. In the case of recent events in Iran, the image countered the news given by state-sanctioned media. But holding a camera and uploading a video became a supremely dangerous act, raising again the issue of the importance of the image, representation, and control.

My interest is in exploring the languages we use or might have to create when talking about the “democratization” of image-making, specifically in times of social unrest and witnessing human rights abuses. To help me, I will look to Benjamin and Sontag’s writings of image, reproduction, and representation. I will also examine the discussions in the media about the impact of these videos coming out of Iran and identify some trends and insights. What were some of the essential conditions that allowed this amateur video phenomenon to occur? What were some of the affects on the global community, particularly of the Iranian diaspora? Can events in Iran provide a case study for other movements of resistance?