Financed largely by the Shah's government, the producers were aghast at the finished film as they felt that it made Iran look like it was a completely backwards country. The film was only allowed to be released with a disclaimer attached stating that the events depicted happened long before the then existing regime.
Although Gaav was highly praised and won an award at the Ministry of Culture's film festival, but it was still denied an export permit. In 1971, the film was smuggled out of Iran and submitted to the Venice Film Festival where, without programming or subtitles, it became the largest event of that year's festival. It won the International Critics Award at Venice.
Gaav was banned for over a year by the Ministry of Culture and Arts, despite being one of the first two film in Iran to receive government funding.
Critics widely consider it the first film of the Iranian New Wave.
One person who reacted warmly to the film was the then Ayatollah Khomeini.
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