Historical novels share Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Award

November 25, 2014, 12:31 pm

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TEHRAN – Mohammad-Kazem Mazinani and Abutorab Khosravi have shared the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Award in novel category for “The Ah with a Sheen” and “Angels of Punishment”, which both focus on part of contemporary Iranian history.

 

The award consists of 110 Bahar Azadi gold coins and each writer received 55 Bahar Azadi gold coins during a ceremony at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Monday.

 

The award, named after the prominent Iranian writer Jalal Al-e Ahmad (1923-1969), is Iran’s most lucrative literary award. Each winner in the four categories of fiction, short stories, memoirs and literary reviews receives 110 Bahar Azadi gold coins.

 

“The Ah with a Sheen” is a second part of a trilogy about the political life of Iran’s last monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. “The Shah without a Sheen” is the first part of the trilogy. 

 

The title of “The Shah without a Sheen” is a play on words. Sheen is a letter of the Persian alphabet that represents the sound of “sh” in English. Only “ah” remains if the “sh” is dropped from the word “shah”. “Ah” means sorrow in Persian. “Ah” with a “sheen” makes the Persian word “shah”.

 

“Angels of Punishment” narrates the lives of three generations in an Iranian family, whose fates are tied together. A major part of the story is set in the 1950s when Iran witnessed major political events.

 

In the memoir category, the prize was also shared by “Prison of Rashid” (Mohammad-Mehdi Behdarvand) and “Passed Journey” (Mohammadreza Tavakoli Saberi).

 

In addition, 110 gold coins of the literary critic section went to Hossein Payandeh for his book “Opening a Novel”.

 

The jury did not select a winner in the short story category.

 

A large number of literati including Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati attended the ceremony.

 

In his short Jannati speech asked the organizers to invite authors from Persian speaking countries to compete in the coming editions of the awards.

 

 

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Kamran Shirdel is a pioneer of Iranian documentary cinema: critic

November 26, 2014, 10:17 pm

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TEHRAN – Film critic and actor Omid Rohani has called documentarian Kamran Shirdel one of the founders of Iranian documentary cinema.

 

He made the remarks during a review session that the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) held for Shirdel’s four short documentaries on Tuesday.

 

“The Mirrors”, “Dubai”, “Silver Canvas” and “The Paykan” were the four films screened during the session.

 

“Filmmaking is quite easy in Iran, perhaps it is only in Iran where an individual can easily decide to make a film in a short time with a low budget,” Rohani said.

 

“That is why there are so many productions that even supermarkets sell CDs of the films,” he added.

 

“On the contrary, making a documentary is quite difficult, since it requires thoughts and ideas,” he said and added that documentary cinema in Iran began with Shirdel, Khosro Sinaii and Sohrab Shahid-Sales.

 

He said, “Shirdel is one of the pioneers in documentary cinema in Iran, an individual who has made a lasting impression on documentary cinema.”

 

Critic Khosro Dehqan also attended the session and said that Shirdel has made over 100 films and added, “Watching these films will surely be a good workshop for film students and film lovers.”

 

“His artistic career has given credit to our cinema, there are not many like Shirdel who has made this much of an impression on an artistic movement,” Dehqan stated.

 

Since the mid-1960s, Shirdel has made bold documentary films that address everyday issues of his native Iran, influencing an entire generation of contemporary Iranian filmmakers. 

 

“Women’s Prison” (1965), “Tehran Is the Capital of Iran” (1966-1979), “The Women’s Quarter” (1966–1980), and “The Night It Rained” (1967–1974) are among his other productions.

 

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Art news in brief

November 26, 2014, 10:39 pm

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Serbian university to offer Persian language course

TEHRAN – Persian language and literature will be offered as an elective course at Megatrend University in Belgrade, Serbia.

 

The decision to offer the course was made according to an agreement, which has recently been signed between Iran’s cultural attaché in Belgrade Mahmud Shaluii and the vice-rector for internationalization at Megatrend University, Ana Jovancai.

 

The course, which is scheduled to begin in December, will be organized by Iran’s cultural attaché’s office.

 

Contrabassist Alireza Khorshidfar dies at 67

TEHRAN – Veteran contrabassist virtuoso Alireza Khorshidfar died of heart attack on Wednesday. He was 67.

 

He was the principal of the contrabass group at Iran’s National Orchestra since 1998 and was in this position at the Tehran Symphony Orchestra from 1969 to 2004. 

 

He also played the tin whistle in Majid Entezami’s popular soundtrack for Ebrahim Hatamikia’s movie “From Karkheh to Rhein” and Piruz Arjomand’s soundtrack for “A Journey to Chazabeh” directed by Rasul Mollaqolipur.

 

Warsaw hosting Iranian film festival

TEHRAN – The 4th edition of Iranian film festival is currently underway in Warsaw.

 

Organized by Iran’s Visual Media Institute and the Embassy of Iran in Poland, the festival runs until November 29.

 

The films are “A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi, “Here without Me” by Bahram Tavakkoli, “I Am His Wife” by Mostafa Shayesteh, “Mr. Yusef” by Ali Rafiei, “The Sinners” by Faramarz Qaribian and “So Close, So Far” by Seyyed Reza Mirkarimi.

 

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“Mokhtarnameh” cinematographer Azim Javanruh dies at 69

November 26, 2014, 10:42 pm

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TEHRAN – Azim Javanruh, the cinematographer of “Mokhtarnameh”, an Iranian TV series about the uprising of Mokhtar Saqafi after the events of Ashura, died of colon cancer on Tuesday. He was 69.

 

Javanruh underwent heart surgery before he found out about his colon cancer, “Mokhtarnameh” producer Mahmud Fallah told the Persian service of MNA on Wednesday. 

 

He next began the cancer chemotherapy treatment, which led to failure and he died on Tuesday evening, Fallah said.

 

His funeral procession will begin at the Iranian House of Cinema on Friday, Fallah said and added, “His family is not living in Iran and the memorial service will be set after they arrive home.”

 

“Mokhtarnameh” by director Davud Mirbaqeri took about eight years to be filmed and completed. The 40-episode TV series was broadcast on IRIB’s Channel 1 in 2011.

 

Born in 1945 in Ardebil, Javanruh collaborated with Mirbaqeri in his other productions including “The King Eared” and “The Lost Innocence”.

 

He also worked in many other projects and TV series such as “The Majid Stories” directed by Kiumars Purahmad, “Mulla Sadra” by Hassan Fat’hi and “Practicing Love” by Bahram Bahramian.

 

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Presidential advisor comments on rush for Pashaii’s funeral

November 26, 2014, 10:51 pm

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TEHRAN -- Presidential advisor Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has commented on the rush to participate in the funeral of Iranian pop singer Morteza Pashaii, who died two weeks ago at 30 after battling cancer.

 

A crowd of over 30,000 people, most of them youths, attended Pashaii’s funeral procession, which began at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall. The rush for the ceremony has been in the limelight over the past two weeks. 

 

“One of the most important points in this issue is the unpredictable nature of Iranian people,” said Salehi-Amiri, who is also the director of the National Library and Archives of Iran, in a press conference on Tuesday.

 

“This event also showed that our society and the new generation have a need for social vibrancy and a mechanism to let them release their energy,” he added.

 

He lamented Iranian social experts’ inability to give a proper analysis about the issue and said that there should be no worry about the formation of social gatherings for different purposes.

 

Salehi-Amiri said, “The cultural taste of our society has changed and we need to be familiarized with informal cultural issues and to analyze them.

 

“The social networks should be recognized and of course they should be channelized. The most important function of the networks is to change an atomized society into a socially integrated community.

 

“Consequently, Iranian society has shifted from political areas to social issues. So, during the splendid ceremony, we did not witness any protest or hear any intense mottos. But they wanted to express this request: ‘I want to live’. There is no reason to consider the gathering a protest. It was only a movement conveying a message – the message of life.” 

 

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Beizaii to present “Ardaviraf’s Report” at Stanford University

November 26, 2014, 10:48 pm

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TEHRAN -- Prominent Iranian playwright and director Bahram Beizaii will stage reading performances of his latest play “Ardaviraf’s Report” at Stanford University on January 24 and 25.

 

The play is Beizaii’s theatrical rendition of an ancient Zoroastrian text that chronicles the journey of pious Ardaviraf to the other world where he travels through paradise, purgatory and the inferno. Ardaviraf meets many of the mythic and historic figures of Iran on his journey

 

The play is based on “The Book of Arda Viraf”, a Zoroastrian religious text from the Sassanid era in the Middle Persian language. It is considered an early precursor to Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. 

 

“Ardaviraf’s Report” will be performed at the Cubberley Auditorium of the university in the Persian language.

 

Beizaii previously performed a shadow play performance of “Jana and Baladoor” at the university in June 2012.

 

“When We Are All Sleeping” was the last film Beizaii directed in Iran in 2006. A few years after, he left the country to pursue an educational career at Stanford University as a visiting professor of Persian studies in the United States of America.

 

Considered as one of the most intellectual auteurs in Iranian cinema, Beizaii has written and directed several films including “Killing Mad Dogs”, “Travelers”, “Bashu, the Little Stranger”, “The Journey” and “The Downpour”.

 

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Director of Dramatic Arts Center meets Spanish diplomat

November 28, 2014, 7:10 pm

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TEHRAN – The director of the Dramatic Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Hossein Taheri, visited the deputy head of the mission at the Spanish Embassy in Tehran, Carlos Aragon Gil de la Serna, in his office last week.

 

The secretary of Iran’s Fajr International Theater Festival, Ardeshir Salehpur, and the director of the Dramatic Arts Association, Ashraf Tabatabaii, also attended the meeting, the center announced on Wednesday.

 

“Spanish actors have had active participation in Iranian theater festivals in the past,” Taheri said, expressing his hope that this year’s Fajr festival will provide the ground for stage actors of both countries to meet again. 

 

Salehpur pointed to the rich literature of Spain and said that Iranians are quite familiar with Spanish literature and added that Spanish plays are frequently being taught and staged in the country. 

 

He also expressed his hope that the new Spanish plays help Iranian readers be familiarized with contemporary Spanish literature.

 

Salehpur also asked Aragon to organize Spanish actors’ trips to Iran to participate in the Fajr theater festival. “Their visit to Iran could help increase interaction between the artists of both countries,” he added.

 

Aragon for his part said that he welcomes the idea of expansion of art and cultural relations.

 

He said that he will try to provide the means for the Spanish actors to attend different sections of Fajr, especially the street plays.

 

Tabatabaii also said in his brief talk that the association aims to deepen relations between the two countries and to help actors visit and learn more about national traditions of both countries.

 

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What’s in art galleries

November 28, 2014, 7:11 pm

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Painting 

 

* An exhibition of paintings by Morteza Asadi is underway at the Laleh Gallery.

 

His collection focusing on autumn will be on show until December 3 at the gallery located on Fatemi St., near Laleh Park.

 

* Golestan Gallery is hosting an exhibition of paintings inspired by the beautiful motifs of Persian carpets by Puneh Jafarinejad.

 

The exhibit runs until December 3 at the gallery, which can be found at 42 Kamasaii St. in the Darus neighborhood.

 

Stone engraving 

 

* A collection of precious stones bearing engravings created by Ajineh Sayyah-Firuzi is on display in an exhibition at the Mirmiran Gallery of the Iranian Artists Forum.

 

The exhibit will be running until December 2 in the gallery located on Musavi St., off Taleqani Ave.

 

Illustration 

 

* Persian Idea Gallery is hosting an exhibition of illustrations by seven female artists, including Ziba Pakzad, Goli Safari, Elaheh Zahedi and Golshifteh Safari. 

 

Entitled “Each Mind Has a Chimney”, the exhibit will be on show until December 3 at the gallery located at 28, Azar Alley, Kolahduz St., and Shariati Ave.

 

Statue 

 

* An exhibition of metal statues of migratory birds created by Babak Sobhi is currently underway in the courtyard of the Niavaran Cultural Center.

 

The statues will run until December 13 at the center located on Pasdaran Ave., in the Niavaran neighborhood.

 

Sculpture/painting

 

* A group of sculptors and painters will showcase their latest works in an exhibition, which opens today at the Henna Gallery.

 

Farhad Azarin and Geave Sharid are the curators of the exhibition, which will run until December 12 at the gallery located at 19 Biglarpur Sharghi St., off Jahantab St. in the Qeitarieh neighborhood.  

 

Ali Motamedian, Ghazaleh Musavi, Ebrahim Ganjian, and Arghavan Khosravi are among the artists, whose works will be put on show at the exhibit entitled “Like Breeze on Trees”.

 

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Japanese Orientalists’ studies on holy sites of Gilan Province published

November 28, 2014, 7:12 pm

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TEHRAN -- Studies by three Japanese Orientalists on the holy sites of Gilan Province have recently been published in Japan.

 

Naomi Shimizu, Satoko Yoshie and Kamioka Koji spent years in the northern Iranian region gathering the information for the book “Sacred Places in Gilan Province”, which is in three volumes, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Thursday.

 

The Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies published the first volume of the book, and the second and third volumes will be come out in the near future.

 

The first volume contains information about the holy sites located in the towns of Astaneye Ashrafieh, Sumesara, Fuman and Shaft.

 

The second volume will cover sites in Lahijan, Siahkal, Langerud, Rudsar and Amlash, and the holy places in Rasht, Anzali, Rudbar, Astara, Talesh, Rezvanshahr and Masal will be discussed in the third volume.

 

Naomi and Koji also authored “Sacred Places in Tehran Province” and “Sacred Places in Qom Province”, which were published in 2009 and 2011. And Yoshie is the author of “Sari Dialect”, which is about a local dialect used in the northern Iranian city of Sari.

 

Koji also collaborated with Japanese and Iranian scholars in several books on Iran, including “Caravan Routes across the Zagros Mountains in Iran” (1988), “Periodic Markets in Gilan: A Preliminary Report” (1988) and “Comparative Basic Vocabulary of Khonji and Lari” (1986).

 

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Iranian official attends anniversary ceremony of Russian cinematography university

November 28, 2014, 7:13 pm

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TEHRAN -- Cinema Organization of Iran (COI) Director Hojjatollah Ayyubi attended a ceremony that the Russian State University of Cinematography held last week to commemorate the 95th anniversary of its establishment.

 

He delivered a short speech at the ceremony, COI announced in a press release on Thursday.

 

“In a world that moves radically toward individualism, cinema has shown that it can be a good excuse for meeting,” Ayyubi said and thanked the head of the university, Vladimir Malishev, for organizing the ceremony.

 

He also stressed on the need for regular collaboration between Iranian and Russian cineastes.

 

He also read verses from poems by Persian poet Omar Khayyam who is popular among Russians. The poetry recitation was warmly received by the audience.

 

A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the Russian State University of Cinematography and the COI during the meeting.

 

According the MOU, both institutions will exchange students and professors, and organize joint film festivals and workshops.

 

The Russian State University of Cinematography, which is also known as the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, is the world’s oldest film school founded in 1919 by Lev Kuleshov and Vladimir Gardin, two outstanding Russian filmmakers.

 

During his sojourn in Moscow, Ayyubi also visited   Mosfilm, a film studio often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe.

 

 

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Art news in brief

November 29, 2014, 7:19 pm

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Iranian director Shahram Mokri awarded at Hanoi festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri has won the best director award for his acclaimed psychodrama “Fish and Cat” at the 3rd Hanoi International Film Festival in Vietnam.

 

“The Two Women” by Vera Glagoleva from Russia was named as the best film at the festival, which was held from November 23 to 27.

 

“Fish and Cat” tells the story of a group of students who travel to a remote region to participate in a kite-flying event. Next to their camp by the lakeside, they find a restaurant with cooks that treat the students with suspicion. Bizarre events lead to a complicated situation from which the students cannot escape.

 

Tehran institute to review Alfons Gabriel’s books on Iran

TEHRAN – Books by the Austrian geographer and travel writer Alfons Gabriel (1894–1976) will be reviewed in a session at Tehran’s Book City Institute on December 2.

 

The Austrian author Bernhard Wieder along with the Iranian poet Shams Langrudi, scholar Mehdi Mohabbati and translator Mojtaba Abdollahnejad will attend the session.

 

Alfons Gabriel made several trips to the deserts of Iran during the 1920s and 1930s. The account of his trips was published in five books. 

 

His book “Durch Persiens Wüsten” (1935) was previously translated into Persian.

 

Seyhun Gallery opens new branch in Tehran

TEHRAN – A new branch of Tehran’s Seyhun Gallery was inaugurated in the city on Friday by displaying works of a group of painters. 

 

Paintings by artists, including Puya Aryanpur, Negareh Ayatollahi, Ali Ettehad, Abdi Asbaqi, and Afshin Pirhashemi, were put on display at Seyhun Gallery II.

 

The gallery is located at 24 Sinaii Alley, off Keyhan St. and Moqaddas-e Ardabili Ave.

 

Seyhun Gallery, which was established by Masumeh Seyhun in 1963, is located on 4th Alley, off Vozara St.

 

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Cinéma Vérité festival opens today

November 29, 2014, 7:53 pm

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TEHRAN – The 8th Cinéma Vérité, the Iranian international festival for documentary films, will open in Tehran today.

 

Over 30 films by directors from 23 countries will compete in the three categories of short, mid-length and feature length documentaries of the festival. 

 

The feature-length films are “Ariel” directed by Laura Bari from Canada, “The Story of Mr. Love” by Dagmar Smrzova from Czech, “From the Depths” by Valentina Pedicini from Italy and “Casse” by Nadège Trebal from France.

 

“Two Raging Grannies” by Håvard Bustnes from Norway, “Frozen Man” by Carolina Campo Lupo from Uruguay, “Men with Balls” by Kristóf Kovács from Hungary and “The Man Who Made Angels Fly” by Wiktoria Szymanska from Poland will compete in this section.

 

Thirteen short films will also be screened at the festival.

 

“The Last Days of Peter Bergmann” directed by Ciaran Cassidy from Ireland, “The Lion’s Mouth Opens” by Lucy Walker from U.S. and “Behind the Wheel” by Elise Laker from Britain are among the films.

 

The festival will also screen nine mid-length films, including “Winter” by Cristina Picchi from Russia, “Taxiway” by Alicia Harrison from France and “Verdade 12.528” by Paula Sacchetta and Peu Robles from Brazil.

 

Iranian documentarian Kamran Shirdel, Australia’s World Congress of Science and Factual Producers editorial director Alison Leigh and Polish filmmaker Pawel Lozinski are the members of the jury for the feature length documentary section.

 

The members of the jury for the mid-length and short film sections are Iranian filmmaker Mahvash Sheikholeslami, Italian film critic Giona Antonio Nazzaro and Egyptian critic Yakout El-Deeb.

 

A group of world-renowned film experts and documentarians are scheduled to hold workshops during the 8th edition of Cinéma Vérité, the Iranian international festival for documentary films, in Tehran.

 

However, the American film critic Bill Nichols and U.S.-based Iranian scholar Hamid Naficy have cancelled their trips to Tehran due to personal problems, the organizers announced on Saturday. 

 

Nichols and Naficy were to hold workshops during the festival.

 

Truls Lie from Norway, Heddy Honigmann from the Netherlands and Itsushi Kawase from Japan is scheduled to hold workshops during the Cinéma Vérité in Tehran.

 

A large number of documentaries from across the world are scheduled to be screened at the week-long Cinéma Vérité festival.

 

Organized by Iran’s Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC), the festival runs until December 7.

 

SB/YAW

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“Memories of Destruction” depicts Aidin Aghdahslu’s search for secret of existence

November 29, 2014, 7:27 pm

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TEHRAN – “Memories of Destruction”, a retrospective of painter Aidin Aghdahslu, glances at the artist’s profound reflections in seeking an answer to the secret of existence. 

 

“These mental murmurs are genuine for me. I collect these soft little murmurs and show them in an opera, I call this exhibit of mine my opera,” Aghdashlu said in a press conference held at the Asar Gallery here on Saturday.

 

“I concentrate on my daily murmurs, the concept of which is pleasing to me and that is what I care about the most,” he added, referring to his paintings on show in the exhibit.

 

“Neither objects nor actions have ever been able to prevent me from murmuring,” Aghdashlu added.

 

Expanding on the theme of his exhibit portraying destruction and decline, Aghdashlu explained, “We can’t explain the secret of life with our wisdom. My paintings refer to the cycle of life; that is, a child is born, grows up, gets married, has children and then dies.

 

“If you observe the series of the works, the gradual fading is quite obvious, ending in the ultimate destruction, I call my last work my last will,” he explained.

 

His broken “Delicate Bowl”, “The Year of Apocalypse,” and “Enigma” are good examples for his words.

 

The master also talked about his exhibit arranged after 40 years, “Three years ago I agreed to hold an exhibition of my works to mark 40 years in my artistic career, however, I didn’t have many works since I had sold what I had painted over these years. Most of the works on display today were done over the past two years.”

 

“This collection contains works that are different when compared to my previous works. I intended to show that each painting bearing my signature contains all the characteristics of a 60-year-old painter,” he asserted.

 

“I believe an artist announces new meanings in his painting exhibition, and when an artist arrives at a new concept, he holds an exhibit. Thirty nine years ago I wanted to introduce myself as an artist, and now this exhibit is a collection of my latest works,” he said.

 

Aghdashlu referred to himself as the most-praised artist by people, and said that he went through hard years to convince others that he would not put himself in any specific category of any artistic movement, and that he is simply a contemporary artist. 

 

According to gallery owner Omid Tehrani, all the works on display were purchased by private collectors for a goodly sum of money, with each work ranging from 1.5 billion to 2 billion rials (about $45,500 to $60,000).

 

Eleven paintings and one sculpture have been put on show at the exhibit, which opened on November 14 and will be running until December 12 at the gallery located at 16 Barforushan St. off Iranshahr Street.

 

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Iran’s Hossein Alizadeh rejects France’s Chevalier of Legion of Honor

November 29, 2014, 7:29 pm

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TEHRAN – The Iranian tar virtuoso and composer Hossein Alizadeh, who has worked with many Iranian and foreign musicians, has refused to accept the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest decoration awarded by the French government.

 

In an open letter published by some Iranian news agencies, Alizadeh said that he does not need any decoration and added that he derives satisfaction from his good name.

 

He described the time during which he wrote the letter as “the most difficult and beautiful moment” of his life. He spoke of the long difficult path he took to acquire his knowledge of music and to achieve popularity. 

 

He thanked the Iranian people and said, “The art-loving people and my dear compatriots have bestowed upon me the highest honor many times.”

 

He went on to say, “If the political and cultural ambassador of France were to pin this gift given by the cultured people of France on the chests of all our great artists, we would certainly acknowledge the gift and would also praise the shining stars of our history.

 

“Perhaps, if our officials, who should be the guardians of the country’s history, culture and art, had a proper appreciation of the art of music – as our people have – a gift and a decoration from outside our country would not require such reflection.    

 

“Nevertheless, I thank the French officials and the ambassador, and in honor of the art-loving people of Iran, I derive satisfaction from the good name of Hossein Alizadeh, and I shall never add a suffix or prefix to it until the end of my life.

 

“Lastly, as I congratulate all the great Iranian and world luminaries who have received the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, I deem myself free from the desire for any medal.”

 

The French Embassy in Tehran has awarded four Iranian personalities the Chevalier of the Legion of Honors over the past six months.

 

On November 17, when Iranian translator and Golestan Gallery curator Lili Golestan received France’s Order of Academic Palms at the French Embassy in Tehran, the embassy also announced that France was planning to honor Alizadeh with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.

 

In a letter published by some Iranian news agencies last week, Vienna-based Iranian conductor Ali Rahbari, who has collaborated with over 120 European orchestras, asked Alizadeh to reject the French decoration.

 

The 66-year-old maestro called the frequent commemorations of Iranian luminaries by the French embassy “an epidemic of Chevalier” and said, “The value that the Iranian people place on Mr. Alizadeh is not comparable with any domestic or foreign medal.”   

 

MMS/YAW

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Art news in brief

November 30, 2014, 6:58 pm

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Dialogues between Henry Corbin, Allameh Tabatabaii published in Italian

TEHRAN -- “Shia in Islam: Dialogues with Henry Corbin” (“Islam sciita: dialoghi con Henry Corbin”), Allameh Mohammad-Hossein Tabatabaii’s book that contains his dialogues and correspondence with French philosopher and Orientalist professor Henry Corbin has been published in Italian.

 

The book was translated into Italian by Alireza Jalali and Mona Rezvan, edited by Iman Mansub-Basiri and the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly, and published by the Iranian cultural attaché’s office in Rome.

 

Allameh Tabatabaii and Corbin were in contact for twenty years. The communication started in 1958 and continued until Corbin’s death in 1978.

 

IIDO director selected for Council for Inspection of Films   

TEHRAN -- Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati selected Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO) Director Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Khamushi as a member of the Council for Inspection of Films, the ministry announced on Saturday.

 

Iranian films must obtain approval of the council to premiere. 

 

Iraq plans to set up cultural center in Tehran

Iraqi Minister of Culture Faryad Rawandozi has said that his country plans to establish a cultural center in Tehran.

 

He announced the plan during a visit with Iranian Ambassador Hassan Danaifar to Baghdad, giving no details about it, the Persian service of IRAN reported on Sunday.

 

In addition, no date was mentioned for the meeting. 

 

“Today” wins award at Tallinn festival

TEHRAN -- Iranian filmmaker Reza Mirkarimi’s social drama “Today” received the FIPRESCI Jury Award at the 18th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which was held in Estonia from November 14 to 30.

 

The film won the award “for the way it manages to achieve big dramatic and political resonance out of a deceitfully simple story,” the jury said in its statement during the closing ceremony of the festival on Saturday evening.

 

The film, which is about a Tehran taxi driver, who becomes the impromptu protector of a desperate young pregnant woman after he rushes her to hospital, is Iran’s submission for the best foreign language film category at the 88th Academy Awards in 2015.

 

“The Fish and I” collects awards at Spanish festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Babak Habibifar’s “The Fish and I” has won two awards at the 15th International Short Film Festival in Soria, Spain.

 

The movie, which tells the story of a blind man who tries to save the life of a fish, won best film award at the festival.

 

It also received the first of three Mediterranean Diet Awards, which are presented to films promoting health education for adults and schoolchildren. In addition, organizers honored the film with a special mention.

 

SB/MMS/YAW

END 

 

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Islamic Conference of Information Ministers will be turning point in enlightenment: Iranian official

November 30, 2014, 7:05 pm

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TEHRAN -- Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance spokesman Hossein Nushabadi has said that the 10th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers (ICIM) will be a turning point in enlightenment.

 

The conference could also reinforce cultural interactions and public diplomacy, he told the Persian service of IRNA on Sunday.

 

“The Islamic Republic of Iran as a country, which has a key role in cultural interactions and public diplomacy in the Islamic world, will be playing host to the tenth edition of the conference,” he added.

 

“Stressing the affinities among the Islamic nations and avoiding the differences made by the enemies should be at the top of the agenda for the conference,” he stated.

 

“We should try to enlighten the Islamic ummah, because the enemies are trying to cause deviation from the Islamic awakening by forming terrorist groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),” he noted.

 

The 10th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers (ICIM), which is annually organized by the state members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will open at Tehran’s Azadi Hotel today and will run until December 3.

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

Iran’s “Melbourne” honored at intl. events

November 30, 2014, 7:07 pm

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TEHRAN – Iranian director Nima Javidi’s acclaimed family drama “Melbourne” won three prizes at the 52nd Gijón International Film Festival in Spain and one prize at the 29th Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentine this week.

 

The director/scriptwriter Nima Javidi received the Best Director Award at the Gijón film festival, which was held from November 21 to 29.

 

The film also received the Best Script Award and the Young Jury Prize for Best Feature Film at the festival.

 

The Indian film “Titli” directed by Kanu Behl was selected as the best film at the Gijón festival.

 

“Melbourne” is about a young couple, Amir and Sara, who plan to leave Tehran to try a new life in the Australian coastal city of Melbourne. However, a tragic event puts their plan at risk.

 

The film’s star, Negar Javaherian, won the Silver Astor for Best Actress at the 29th Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina. 

 

“Come to My Voice” directed by Hüseyin Karabey, which is a joint production of Turkey, France and Germany, won the Golden Astor for Best Feature Film at the festival, which was held from November 22 to 30.

 

SB/YAW

END

 

 

 

 

Maestro Ali Rahbari praises Alizadeh over rejection of French medal

November 30, 2014, 7:10 pm

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TEHRAN -- Vienna-based Iranian maestro Ali Rahbari has praised tar virtuoso and composer Hossein Alizadeh over his decision to reject France’s Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.

 

In a statement which was published by the Persian service of ISNA on Sunday, Rahbari spoke of Alizadeh’s good reputation in the West and said that he has been informed about Alizadeh’s achievements over the past 40 years.

 

“I hope very much that the great ability the Almighty has bestowed upon you will bring a huge improvement in the condition of Iranian music and musicians,” he stated.

 

Last week, Rahbari asked Alizadeh to reject the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor after the French Embassy announced that France was planning to honor Alizadeh with the French decoration.

 

In an open letter published on Saturday, Alizadeh announced his decision to reject the award.

 

He thanked the French officials and the ambassador over their plan to honor him and wrote, “I derive satisfaction from the good name of Hossein Alizadeh, and I shall never add a suffix or prefix to it until the end of my life.”

 

“As I congratulate all the great Iranian and world luminaries who have received the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, I deem myself free from the desire for any medal,” he added

 

Four Iranian personalities have been awarded France’s Chevalier of the Legion of Honors at the French Embassy in Tehran over the past six months.

 

Rahbari called the frequent commemorations of Iranian luminaries by the French Embassy “an epidemic of Chevalier” and said, “The value that the Iranian people place on Mr. Alizadeh is not comparable with any domestic or foreign medal.”   

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

Art news in brief

November 30, 2014, 6:58 pm

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Dialogues between Henry Corbin, Allameh Tabatabaii published in Italian

TEHRAN -- “Shia in Islam: Dialogues with Henry Corbin” (“Islam sciita: dialoghi con Henry Corbin”), Allameh Mohammad-Hossein Tabatabaii’s book that contains his dialogues and correspondence with French philosopher and Orientalist professor Henry Corbin has been published in Italian.

 

The book was translated into Italian by Alireza Jalali and Mona Rezvan, edited by Iman Mansub-Basiri and the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly, and published by the Iranian cultural attaché’s office in Rome.

 

Allameh Tabatabaii and Corbin were in contact for twenty years. The communication started in 1958 and continued until Corbin’s death in 1978.

 

IIDO director selected for Council for Inspection of Films   

TEHRAN -- Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati selected Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO) Director Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Khamushi as a member of the Council for Inspection of Films, the ministry announced on Saturday.

 

Iranian films must obtain approval of the council to premiere. 

 

Iraq plans to set up cultural center in Tehran

Iraqi Minister of Culture Faryad Rawandozi has said that his country plans to establish a cultural center in Tehran.

 

He announced the plan during a visit with Iranian Ambassador Hassan Danaifar to Baghdad, giving no details about it, the Persian service of IRAN reported on Sunday.

 

In addition, no date was mentioned for the meeting. 

 

“Today” wins award at Tallinn festival

TEHRAN -- Iranian filmmaker Reza Mirkarimi’s social drama “Today” received the FIPRESCI Jury Award at the 18th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which was held in Estonia from November 14 to 30.

 

The film won the award “for the way it manages to achieve big dramatic and political resonance out of a deceitfully simple story,” the jury said in its statement during the closing ceremony of the festival on Saturday evening.

 

The film, which is about a Tehran taxi driver, who becomes the impromptu protector of a desperate young pregnant woman after he rushes her to hospital, is Iran’s submission for the best foreign language film category at the 88th Academy Awards in 2015.

 

“The Fish and I” collects awards at Spanish festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Babak Habibifar’s “The Fish and I” has won two awards at the 15th International Short Film Festival in Soria, Spain.

 

The movie, which tells the story of a blind man who tries to save the life of a fish, won best film award at the festival.

 

It also received the first of three Mediterranean Diet Awards, which are presented to films promoting health education for adults and schoolchildren. In addition, organizers honored the film with a special mention.

 

SB/MMS/YAW

END 

 

Islamic Conference of Information Ministers will be turning point in enlightenment: Iranian official

November 30, 2014, 7:05 pm

≫ Next: Iran’s “Melbourne” honored at intl. events

≪ Previous: Art news in brief

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance spokesman Hossein Nushabadi has said that the 10th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers (ICIM) will be a turning point in enlightenment.

 

The conference could also reinforce cultural interactions and public diplomacy, he told the Persian service of IRNA on Sunday.

 

“The Islamic Republic of Iran as a country, which has a key role in cultural interactions and public diplomacy in the Islamic world, will be playing host to the tenth edition of the conference,” he added.

 

“Stressing the affinities among the Islamic nations and avoiding the differences made by the enemies should be at the top of the agenda for the conference,” he stated.

 

“We should try to enlighten the Islamic ummah, because the enemies are trying to cause deviation from the Islamic awakening by forming terrorist groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),” he noted.

 

The 10th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers (ICIM), which is annually organized by the state members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will open at Tehran’s Azadi Hotel today and will run until December 3.

 

MMS/YAW

END