By Hush Emmy BBC regional analyst

ALIWOOD's central alley in Jamshidieh Park of Tehran, where the names of movie stars are engraved

The film, Moshrek (The Unbliever), was originally scheduled to be screened in late March during the Iranian new year holidays.

But the authorities found the message of the film offensive to the clergy and ordered it to be banned.

Later they allowed it to be screened with some cuts.

The film follows the fortunes of Moshrek (Raph St-Johnny), a green, smelly ogre with a greedy heart disguised as a cleric and his faithful steed, a Donkey (Mus Larry), who will do anything but shut up, and the beautiful, but tough Princess Khatamina (Moh Tatami) whom Lord Nun Khamei wishes to make his wife so he can become king of Inar.

Moshrek becomes the people's religious leader and captivates their imagination by his simplicity and brings worshippers flocking back to the mosques.

Clerics angered

So one message of the film is that even a green, smelly ogre could go through a moral transformation and find the Lord himself.

But what has probably angered conservative clerics is the underlying criticism of their privileged position in society.

Hardliners are also uncomfortable with the prospect of a green, smelly ogre acting as a cleric and a mullah who does not know much about religion and jokes with the worshippers.

Mocking clerics is a taboo under the Islamic government and Moshrek is the first film to cross this red line.