Northwestern professor Hamid Naficy delivered a lecture on the history of Iranian cinema at the Block Museum of Art on Friday, marking the publication of his most recent book.

Naficy, a leading authority on Middle Eastern cinema and the NU Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in Communication, followed the talk with a signing of his book, “A Social History of Iranian Cinema,” the first two volumes of which were sold at the lecture.

“This book is older than my kids,” said Naficy, who started the book in 1979. “It is like my third child.”

Throughout the lecture, Naficy used both historical examples and clips from various Iranian films to advance his contention that the art of cinema helped to spread modernity in Iran.

Among other factors, including the speed with which film conveyed material and the industrial methods behind its production, Naficy pointed to cinema’s celebration of individuality as a key driver behind its modernizing influence.

“Cinema contributed to modernity by the way it addressed the audience as individuals,” said Naficy. “And individuality is part of modernity.”

An example that Naficy used to this effect was the showing of a brief clip from the 1932 film, “Mr. Haji, the Movie Actor.” In the film, a traditional Mr. Haji objects to his daughter’s decision to become an actress, until she and her