Art news in brief

October 29, 2014, 4:51 pm

≫ Next: Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos to arrive in Tehran today

≪ Previous: “Borderless” wins best Asian film award at Tokyo festival

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IIDCYA to participate in Istanbul Book Fair

 

TEHRAN -- The Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) will be participating in the 33rd edition of Istanbul Book Fair running from November 8 to 16.

 

The latest products of the institute will go on display at the fair focusing on the central theme of “100 Years of Turkish Cinema”.

 

In addition, IIDCYA has displayed a collection of its books at the ongoing 59th edition of Belgrade Book Fair that will end on November 2.

 

Persian translation of Modiano’s “Un Cirque Passé” republished 

 

TEHRAN – A Persian translation of “Un Cirque Passé” (1993) by Patrick Modiano has recently been republished by Cheshmeh Publications.

 

Translated into Persian by Nasim Musavi, “Un Cirque Passe” has debuted at the top of Cheshmeh’s bestsellers list.

 

The Persian versions of Modiano’s books have joined the top five bestsellers in Tehran’s major bookstores since October 9 after he won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Literature.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

---

Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos to arrive in Tehran today

October 29, 2014, 4:48 pm

≫ Next: Lineup for Portrait Section of Cinéma Vérité announced

≪ Previous: Art news in brief

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0

TEHRAN – Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos will arrive in Tehran today to hold two workshops.

 

Vasilis Apostolatos will be holding the workshops at the invitation of Iran’s Virgule Troupe, director of the troupe Arvand Dashtaray told the Persian service of ISNA on Wednesday.

 

“Apostolatos will hold one workshop for technical personnel of Iran’s theater, and his second workshop has been arranged for a limited number of Iranian stage directors,” he said.

 

“The workshop will help teach the directors how to make use of the element of light in their productions,” he added.

 

Both workshops will be held in collaboration with the Dramatic Arts Center, he added.

 

In addition, Apostolatos will be creating the lighting design for the Iranian and Dutch joint play “In Respect for Others’ Pains”.

 

The play will be performed by Iran’s Virgule Troupe and the English Theater STET from the Netherlands in Tehran during mid November.

 

A cast composed of four Iranian and four Dutch actors will first perform the play in Tehran, and it will later go on stage in the Netherlands.

 

The play is about the connection between different generations and cultures.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

Lineup for Portrait Section of Cinéma Vérité announced

October 29, 2014, 4:39 pm

≫ Next: Bulgarian diplomat visits Iranian Artists Forum

≪ Previous: Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos to arrive in Tehran today

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0

0

TEHRAN – The 8th edition of Cinéma Vérité, the Iranian international festival for documentary films, has announced the lineup for the Portrait Section, which is for biographical documentary films.

 

The festival will be held in Tehran from November 30 to December 7.

 

Among the films is “A Diary of a Journey” directed by Piotr Stasik from Poland. The film is about Tadeusz Rolke, an aged master of Polish photography, and his 15-year-old student, Michal, who travel across Poland to take portrait photographs of the residents of small towns and villages.

 

“Habitares” directed by Marina Zeising from Argentina is another film on the lineup. The film is about the life story of Argentine film star Herta Scheurle, who changes the course of her career after she has an accident.

 

Swiss filmmaker Alice Fargier’s “The Water and the Wall”, which is about 11-year-old Bradley who lives in a foster home. At summer camp he meets filmmaker Alice Fargier, who gives a workshop on filmmaking and organizes a trip to the movies for him.

 

Fargier recorded a sensitive discussion between Luc Dardenne, co-director of “The Kid with a Bike”, and 11-year-old Bradley, who was greatly moved after seeing the short film about children abandoned by their irresponsible parents.

 

“Treasures” by Spanish director Iván Cortázar and “Yakuza Eiga: A Secret Story of Japanese Cinema” by French director Yves Montmayeur are the other highlights on the lineup.

 

MMS/YAWEND

END

 

Bulgarian diplomat visits Iranian Artists Forum

October 31, 2014, 2:42 pm

≫ Next: “City of Mice 2” screened for orphans in Bam

≪ Previous: Lineup for Portrait Section of Cinéma Vérité announced

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0

0

TEHRAN – The first secretary of the Embassy of Bulgaria, Jivko Kantchev, visited the Iranian Artists Forum in Tehran on Thursday.

 

He met IAF Director Majid Sarsangi during the visit and said he would like to organize a Bulgarian cultural week at the IAF in the near future, the IAF reported in a press release.

 

Kantchev, who was appointed to serve as first secretary of the Bulgarian Embassy about two months ago, said that his country is ready to cooperate with the IAF in the fields of art and culture.

 

He added that he is aware of the wide range of activities of the IAF and gave details about the various types of art in Bulgaria.

 

Kantchev also talked about the recent activities of the Department of Iranian Studies at Sofia University and said that several Bulgarian books have been translated into Persian by a team of Iranologists and a Persian-Bulgarian dictionary is also being compiled by the team.

 

Sarsangi informed Kantchev about the number of cultural weeks held at the forum over the past two years, adding that the IAF is ready to host a Bulgarian cultural week.

 

RM/YAW/HG

END

 

“City of Mice 2” screened for orphans in Bam

October 31, 2014, 2:45 pm

≫ Next: Russian company acquires “Unripe Pomegranates”

≪ Previous: Bulgarian diplomat visits Iranian Artists Forum

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0

0

TEHRAN – “The City of Mice 2”, a sequel to the popular 1984 puppet show movie, was screened for a group of orphans of the quake-stricken city of Bam in southeastern Iran last week.

 

Producer Manijeh Hekmat, director Marzieh Borumand and several puppeteers and voice actors attended the film screening on Wednesday, Persian media reported on Friday.

 

Children invited from different charity organizations were highly entertained by watching the film, which takes the audience into the adventures of little mice who decide to take care of a defenseless kitty, an act that leads to turmoil in the city.

 

The group also visited the quake-stricken historical site, the world’s largest adobe building, during their two-day visit. The site experienced severe damage caused by a devastating earthquake in December 2003.

 

They also paid a visit to Sepehr rehabilitation center, where orphans, elderly and disabled individuals who survived the quake reside. The center helps them to achieve their potential through rehabilitation.

 

The orphans from Sepehr center together with the crew watched the film in the Bam department of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

 

Hekmat agreed to optimize the available theaters across the city to help screen Iranian cinematic productions in Bam, and Borumand asked the director of the Bam department to provide a better projector for its theater.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

Russian company acquires “Unripe Pomegranates”

October 31, 2014, 2:37 pm

≫ Next: Account of Ma Huan’s expeditions to Western Ocean published in Persian

≪ Previous: “City of Mice 2” screened for orphans in Bam

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TEHRAN -- The Russian company Kamer-Ton-Media has acquired the right to Iranian director/producer Majidreza Mostafavi’s “Unripe Pomegranates”, some Persian news agencies reported on Wednesday. 

 

The company specializes in cinema, video and TV distribution of quality mainstream feature films as well as art-house movies in Russia and the CIS region, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

 

The film will first be broadcast on a weekly television program entitled Movie Cult on the Russian TV channel Culture, which is produced by Kamer-Ton-Media.

 

“Unripe Pomegranates” tells the story of a couple living in a suburb of Tehran. The wife takes care of an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and the husband is a welder in a skyscraper. However, an accident causes new problems for the family.

 

The movie was screened in the competition section of the 36th Moscow International Film Festival in June.

 

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

Account of Ma Huan’s expeditions to Western Ocean published in Persian

November 1, 2014, 8:17 pm

≫ Next: Persian art on display at Malaysian Islamic cultural festival

≪ Previous: Russian company acquires “Unripe Pomegranates”

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0

0

TEHRAN -- “Ying-Yai Sheng-Lan” (“The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores”), Chinese Muslim voyager and translator Ma Huan’s account of his seven expeditions to the Western Ocean, has recently been published in Persian.

 

Ma Huan (c. 1380–1460) accompanied Admiral Zheng, Chinese explorer and diplomat during China’s early Ming Dynasty, on the expeditions.

 

During his expeditions, he took notes about the geography, politics, weather conditions, environment, economy, local customs and even the method of punishment for criminals of the regions that he visited.

 

He expanded and modified the notes, and the final version was ready around 1451.

 

There were many printed and hand-copied editions. The latest authentic text of a printed version was edited and annotated by historian Feng Chen Jun.

 

A Persian version was translated by Saeid Karimpur based on the edition by Feng Chen Jun.

 

The book was published by Qoqnus. This is first time that the book has been published in Persian

 

An annotated English translation by J.V.G. Mills (1887–1987) was published by the Hakluyt Society in England in 1970.

 

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

Persian art on display at Malaysian Islamic cultural festival

November 1, 2014, 8:33 pm

≫ Next: “Today” crowned best film at Rabat festival

≪ Previous: Account of Ma Huan’s expeditions to Western Ocean published in Persian

$

0

0

TEHRAN – A wide variety of works by Iranian artists is on display at the Putrajaya International Islamic Arts and Cultural Festival of Malaysia. 

 

A collection of handicrafts, paintings, calligraphy works and miniatures, along with books on Persian cuisine and cookies is on show at the 4-day exhibit, which ends today, the Persian service of IRNA reported on Saturday.

 

Sam Arabzadeh is displaying his selection of intarsia, and Mehdi Jalali is exhibiting his photos on the central theme of Iranian ritual ceremonies.

 

Iranian artist Yavar Jamshidzadeh has been offering a collection of his paintings created with coffee. The paintings have been warmly received by the visitors during the event.

 

In addition, neyanbun virtuoso Mohsen Sharifian gave several performances during the festival, helping to introduce the mourning songs of the southern city of Bushehr.

 

Artists from 10 Islamic countries including Palestine, Indonesia, Thailand, Yemen and Egypt are attending the festival this year.

 

The festival is aimed at pioneering the values of Islam through the perspective of a moderate society where arts and culture take center stage in delivering the messages of Islam to the world.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

---

“Today” crowned best film at Rabat festival

November 1, 2014, 8:40 pm

≫ Next: “Borderless” wins best Asian film award at Tokyo festival

≪ Previous: Persian art on display at Malaysian Islamic cultural festival

$

0

0

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Reza Mirkarimi’s social drama “Today” won the best film award at the 20th Rabat Auteur Film Festival, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Saturday.

 

The film also received the audience award and brought its star Parviz Parastuii the best actor award during the closing ceremony of the festival, which was held in the Moroccan capital on Saturday.

 

“Today” is about a Tehran taxi driver, who becomes the impromptu protector of a desperate young pregnant woman after he rushes her to hospital.

 

The film is Iran’s submission for the best foreign language film category at the 88th Academy Awards in 2015.

 

Dreamlab Films, a French film studio, is the international distributor of the film.

 

 

SB/YAW

END

 

“Borderless” wins best Asian film award at Tokyo festival

November 1, 2014, 8:35 pm

≫ Next: Art news in brief

≪ Previous: “Today” crowned best film at Rabat festival

$

0

0

TEHRAN – The Iranian movie “Borderless” has won the Best Asian Future Film Award at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival.

 

Directed by Amir-Hossein Asgari, “Borderless” is the story of a boy who has been fishing for some time in a grounded ship at the zero point border.

 

He has chosen the place for his seclusion and serenity when the appearance a stranger takes away his peace and his work.

 

Joshua and Benny Safdie’s “Heaven Knows What”, a U.S.-French production, won the top prize of the festival, which was held from October 23 to 31.

 

Iranian director Nima Javidi’s “Melbourne” was also screened in the international competition section of the festival.  

 

 

SB/YAW

END

 

Art news in brief

October 29, 2014, 4:51 pm

≫ Next: Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos to arrive in Tehran today

≪ Previous: “Borderless” wins best Asian film award at Tokyo festival

$

0

0

IIDCYA to participate in Istanbul Book Fair

 

TEHRAN -- The Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) will be participating in the 33rd edition of Istanbul Book Fair running from November 8 to 16.

 

The latest products of the institute will go on display at the fair focusing on the central theme of “100 Years of Turkish Cinema”.

 

In addition, IIDCYA has displayed a collection of its books at the ongoing 59th edition of Belgrade Book Fair that will end on November 2.

 

Persian translation of Modiano’s “Un Cirque Passé” republished 

 

TEHRAN – A Persian translation of “Un Cirque Passé” (1993) by Patrick Modiano has recently been republished by Cheshmeh Publications.

 

Translated into Persian by Nasim Musavi, “Un Cirque Passe” has debuted at the top of Cheshmeh’s bestsellers list.

 

The Persian versions of Modiano’s books have joined the top five bestsellers in Tehran’s major bookstores since October 9 after he won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Literature.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos to arrive in Tehran today

October 29, 2014, 4:48 pm

≫ Next: Lineup for Portrait Section of Cinéma Vérité announced

≪ Previous: Art news in brief

$

0

0

TEHRAN – Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos will arrive in Tehran today to hold two workshops.

 

Vasilis Apostolatos will be holding the workshops at the invitation of Iran’s Virgule Troupe, director of the troupe Arvand Dashtaray told the Persian service of ISNA on Wednesday.

 

“Apostolatos will hold one workshop for technical personnel of Iran’s theater, and his second workshop has been arranged for a limited number of Iranian stage directors,” he said.

 

“The workshop will help teach the directors how to make use of the element of light in their productions,” he added.

 

Both workshops will be held in collaboration with the Dramatic Arts Center, he added.

 

In addition, Apostolatos will be creating the lighting design for the Iranian and Dutch joint play “In Respect for Others’ Pains”.

 

The play will be performed by Iran’s Virgule Troupe and the English Theater STET from the Netherlands in Tehran during mid November.

 

A cast composed of four Iranian and four Dutch actors will first perform the play in Tehran, and it will later go on stage in the Netherlands.

 

The play is about the connection between different generations and cultures.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

Lineup for Portrait Section of Cinéma Vérité announced

October 29, 2014, 4:39 pm

≫ Next: Bulgarian diplomat visits Iranian Artists Forum

≪ Previous: Greek lighting designer Vasilis Apostolatos to arrive in Tehran today

$

0

0

TEHRAN – The 8th edition of Cinéma Vérité, the Iranian international festival for documentary films, has announced the lineup for the Portrait Section, which is for biographical documentary films.

 

The festival will be held in Tehran from November 30 to December 7.

 

Among the films is “A Diary of a Journey” directed by Piotr Stasik from Poland. The film is about Tadeusz Rolke, an aged master of Polish photography, and his 15-year-old student, Michal, who travel across Poland to take portrait photographs of the residents of small towns and villages.

 

“Habitares” directed by Marina Zeising from Argentina is another film on the lineup. The film is about the life story of Argentine film star Herta Scheurle, who changes the course of her career after she has an accident.

 

Swiss filmmaker Alice Fargier’s “The Water and the Wall”, which is about 11-year-old Bradley who lives in a foster home. At summer camp he meets filmmaker Alice Fargier, who gives a workshop on filmmaking and organizes a trip to the movies for him.

 

Fargier recorded a sensitive discussion between Luc Dardenne, co-director of “The Kid with a Bike”, and 11-year-old Bradley, who was greatly moved after seeing the short film about children abandoned by their irresponsible parents.

 

“Treasures” by Spanish director Iván Cortázar and “Yakuza Eiga: A Secret Story of Japanese Cinema” by French director Yves Montmayeur are the other highlights on the lineup.

 

MMS/YAWEND

END

 

Bulgarian diplomat visits Iranian Artists Forum

October 31, 2014, 2:42 pm

≫ Next: “City of Mice 2” screened for orphans in Bam

≪ Previous: Lineup for Portrait Section of Cinéma Vérité announced

$

0

0

TEHRAN – The first secretary of the Embassy of Bulgaria, Jivko Kantchev, visited the Iranian Artists Forum in Tehran on Thursday.

 

He met IAF Director Majid Sarsangi during the visit and said he would like to organize a Bulgarian cultural week at the IAF in the near future, the IAF reported in a press release.

 

Kantchev, who was appointed to serve as first secretary of the Bulgarian Embassy about two months ago, said that his country is ready to cooperate with the IAF in the fields of art and culture.

 

He added that he is aware of the wide range of activities of the IAF and gave details about the various types of art in Bulgaria.

 

Kantchev also talked about the recent activities of the Department of Iranian Studies at Sofia University and said that several Bulgarian books have been translated into Persian by a team of Iranologists and a Persian-Bulgarian dictionary is also being compiled by the team.

 

Sarsangi informed Kantchev about the number of cultural weeks held at the forum over the past two years, adding that the IAF is ready to host a Bulgarian cultural week.

 

RM/YAW/HG

END

 

“City of Mice 2” screened for orphans in Bam

October 31, 2014, 2:45 pm

≫ Next: Russian company acquires “Unripe Pomegranates”

≪ Previous: Bulgarian diplomat visits Iranian Artists Forum

$

0

0

TEHRAN – “The City of Mice 2”, a sequel to the popular 1984 puppet show movie, was screened for a group of orphans of the quake-stricken city of Bam in southeastern Iran last week.

 

Producer Manijeh Hekmat, director Marzieh Borumand and several puppeteers and voice actors attended the film screening on Wednesday, Persian media reported on Friday.

 

Children invited from different charity organizations were highly entertained by watching the film, which takes the audience into the adventures of little mice who decide to take care of a defenseless kitty, an act that leads to turmoil in the city.

 

The group also visited the quake-stricken historical site, the world’s largest adobe building, during their two-day visit. The site experienced severe damage caused by a devastating earthquake in December 2003.

 

They also paid a visit to Sepehr rehabilitation center, where orphans, elderly and disabled individuals who survived the quake reside. The center helps them to achieve their potential through rehabilitation.

 

The orphans from Sepehr center together with the crew watched the film in the Bam department of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

 

Hekmat agreed to optimize the available theaters across the city to help screen Iranian cinematic productions in Bam, and Borumand asked the director of the Bam department to provide a better projector for its theater.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

---

Russian company acquires “Unripe Pomegranates”

October 31, 2014, 2:37 pm

≫ Next: Account of Ma Huan’s expeditions to Western Ocean published in Persian

≪ Previous: “City of Mice 2” screened for orphans in Bam

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- The Russian company Kamer-Ton-Media has acquired the right to Iranian director/producer Majidreza Mostafavi’s “Unripe Pomegranates”, some Persian news agencies reported on Wednesday. 

 

The company specializes in cinema, video and TV distribution of quality mainstream feature films as well as art-house movies in Russia and the CIS region, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

 

The film will first be broadcast on a weekly television program entitled Movie Cult on the Russian TV channel Culture, which is produced by Kamer-Ton-Media.

 

“Unripe Pomegranates” tells the story of a couple living in a suburb of Tehran. The wife takes care of an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and the husband is a welder in a skyscraper. However, an accident causes new problems for the family.

 

The movie was screened in the competition section of the 36th Moscow International Film Festival in June.

 

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

Account of Ma Huan’s expeditions to Western Ocean published in Persian

November 1, 2014, 8:17 pm

≫ Next: Persian art on display at Malaysian Islamic cultural festival

≪ Previous: Russian company acquires “Unripe Pomegranates”

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- “Ying-Yai Sheng-Lan” (“The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores”), Chinese Muslim voyager and translator Ma Huan’s account of his seven expeditions to the Western Ocean, has recently been published in Persian.

 

Ma Huan (c. 1380–1460) accompanied Admiral Zheng, Chinese explorer and diplomat during China’s early Ming Dynasty, on the expeditions.

 

During his expeditions, he took notes about the geography, politics, weather conditions, environment, economy, local customs and even the method of punishment for criminals of the regions that he visited.

 

He expanded and modified the notes, and the final version was ready around 1451.

 

There were many printed and hand-copied editions. The latest authentic text of a printed version was edited and annotated by historian Feng Chen Jun.

 

A Persian version was translated by Saeid Karimpur based on the edition by Feng Chen Jun.

 

The book was published by Qoqnus. This is first time that the book has been published in Persian

 

An annotated English translation by J.V.G. Mills (1887–1987) was published by the Hakluyt Society in England in 1970.

 

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

Persian art on display at Malaysian Islamic cultural festival

November 1, 2014, 8:33 pm

≫ Next: “Today” crowned best film at Rabat festival

≪ Previous: Account of Ma Huan’s expeditions to Western Ocean published in Persian

$

0

0

TEHRAN – A wide variety of works by Iranian artists is on display at the Putrajaya International Islamic Arts and Cultural Festival of Malaysia. 

 

A collection of handicrafts, paintings, calligraphy works and miniatures, along with books on Persian cuisine and cookies is on show at the 4-day exhibit, which ends today, the Persian service of IRNA reported on Saturday.

 

Sam Arabzadeh is displaying his selection of intarsia, and Mehdi Jalali is exhibiting his photos on the central theme of Iranian ritual ceremonies.

 

Iranian artist Yavar Jamshidzadeh has been offering a collection of his paintings created with coffee. The paintings have been warmly received by the visitors during the event.

 

In addition, neyanbun virtuoso Mohsen Sharifian gave several performances during the festival, helping to introduce the mourning songs of the southern city of Bushehr.

 

Artists from 10 Islamic countries including Palestine, Indonesia, Thailand, Yemen and Egypt are attending the festival this year.

 

The festival is aimed at pioneering the values of Islam through the perspective of a moderate society where arts and culture take center stage in delivering the messages of Islam to the world.

 

RM/YAW

END

 

“Today” crowned best film at Rabat festival

November 1, 2014, 8:40 pm

≫ Next: “Borderless” wins best Asian film award at Tokyo festival

≪ Previous: Persian art on display at Malaysian Islamic cultural festival

$

0

0

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Reza Mirkarimi’s social drama “Today” won the best film award at the 20th Rabat Auteur Film Festival, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Saturday.

 

The film also received the audience award and brought its star Parviz Parastuii the best actor award during the closing ceremony of the festival, which was held in the Moroccan capital on Saturday.

 

“Today” is about a Tehran taxi driver, who becomes the impromptu protector of a desperate young pregnant woman after he rushes her to hospital.

 

The film is Iran’s submission for the best foreign language film category at the 88th Academy Awards in 2015.

 

Dreamlab Films, a French film studio, is the international distributor of the film.

 

 

SB/YAW

END

 

“Borderless” wins best Asian film award at Tokyo festival

November 1, 2014, 8:35 pm

≫ Next: Biography of Hazrat Abbas (AS) appears in English

≪ Previous: “Today” crowned best film at Rabat festival

$

0

0

TEHRAN – The Iranian movie “Borderless” has won the Best Asian Future Film Award at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival.

 

Directed by Amir-Hossein Asgari, “Borderless” is the story of a boy who has been fishing for some time in a grounded ship at the zero point border.

 

He has chosen the place for his seclusion and serenity when the appearance a stranger takes away his peace and his work.

 

Joshua and Benny Safdie’s “Heaven Knows What”, a U.S.-French production, won the top prize of the festival, which was held from October 23 to 31.

 

Iranian director Nima Javidi’s “Melbourne” was also screened in the international competition section of the festival.  

 

 

SB/YAW

END