Mohammad-Ali Najafi appointed CHTHO director

August 18, 2013, 8:16 am

≫ Next: “Roads of Kiarostami” to open cinematheque in Tehran

≪ Previous: Iranian director on Malta filmfest panel

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- President Hassan Rohani appointed Mohammad-Ali Najafi the director of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) on Saturday.

 

Najafi failed to receive a vote of confidence as education minister during the Iranian parliament’s confirmation process for nominees for ministerial posts last week.  

 

Najafi, 62, was a reformist member of the current Tehran City Council. He was science minister in the administration of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the last prime minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989.

 

He served as education minister for two full terms in Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s administration from 1989 to 1997.

 

He also presided over the Management and Planning Organization in the administration of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the reformist president of Iran from 1997 to 2005.

 

Najafi’s appointment as the director of the CHTHO has received positive responses from a number of cultural heritage organizations.

 

The Society of Iranian Archaeology sent a message of congratulations to Najfi.

 

“Appointing an inexpert group to the CHTHO and their disregard of the capabilities and experience of the expert staff have inflicted serious damage upon the organization over the past few years,” the society said in a message, which was published by some Persian new agencies.

 

The society stressed its readiness to support Najafi’s plans to restore the CHTHO.

 

The Iranian branch of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) welcomed Najafi’s appointment to the CHTHO in a press release on Saturday,

 

“This appointment offers a ray of hope for easing the deep concerns of cultural heritage lovers and experts about the mismanagement of the organization over the past few years,” Iran’s ICOMOS stated.

 

Iran’s ICOMOS Managing Director Mehdi Hojjat was one of persons rumored to be selected by Rohani to run the CHTHO.  

 

By law, CHTHO’s director is a vice president and a member of the cabinet in every administration.   

 

Five persons were selected by former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to preside over the CHTHO during his two terms of administration. The first was his close controversial ally, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii. 

 

Hamid Baqaii, Ruhollah Ahmadzadeh Kermani, Hassan Musavi and Mohammad-Sharif Malekzadeh were other directors of the CHTHO under Ahmadinejad.

 

Analysts have said that the CHTHO have been suffering from mismanagement over the past eight years.

 

In one case, Baqaii appointed Azadeh Ardakani, a microbiologist, to the National Museum of Iran, Iran’s most important museum which keeps tens of thousands of artifacts.

 

MMS/YAW

END

---

“Roads of Kiarostami” to open cinematheque in Tehran

August 18, 2013, 8:17 am

≫ Next: Iranian photographer honored at Canon ProfiFoto Awards

≪ Previous: Mohammad-Ali Najafi appointed CHTHO director

$

0

0

TEHRAN – “Roads of Kiarostami”, a documentary by Abbas Kiarostami, is scheduled to be screened at the inauguration ceremony of a cinematheque at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran today.

 

Artists, critics and cineastes including Khosro Sinaii, Mohammadreza Aslani, Nureddin Zarrinkelk, and Kiarostami will be attending the opening ceremony, IAF announced in a press release on Sunday.

 

A review session has also been arranged after the film screening.

 

The documentary “Roads of Kiarostami” (2005) depicts static shots of the photos alternating with footage of Kiarostami's car winding through mountain roads as he muses in a voice-over on the significance of the journey and the path in his own work and in Persian literature.

 

Kiarostami has also displayed a collection of his photos from “Roads” in several galleries across Iran and in several other countries, which shows the paths he has traveled and photographed during his journeys.

 

Kiarostami has become famous throughout the world for his filmmaking. However, his artistic expressions are not restricted to the cinema. He has shown talent in other art forms including poetry, set designing, painting and photography.

 

He won the 1997 Palme d’Or at Cannes for “Taste of Cherry” and the 1999 Venice Grand Jury Prize for “The Wind Will Carry Us”.

 

He is also a prominent poet whose work has been published by Harvard University Press in the bilingual English-Persian book “Walking with the Wind” in 2002.

 

RM/YAW

END

Iranian photographer honored at Canon ProfiFoto Awards

August 18, 2013, 8:14 am

≫ Next: Rahmanian to perform “Old Songs” at ECI

≪ Previous: “Roads of Kiarostami” to open cinematheque in Tehran

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- The Iranian photographer Farhad Babaii was one of the five winners at the second session of the Canon ProfiFoto Awards in 2013 in Germany, organizers announced on August 14.

 

Anna-Kristina Bauer, Inga Masche, Meike Willner and Kristoffer Finn were the other winners, all from Germany.

 

A total of 153 young photographers and photographers under 30 competed for the awards.

 

The Canon ProfiFoto Awards supports photography projects, which still have to be implemented, extended or finished. Babaii plans to implement a photography project on a social theme in Iran.

 

The five winners will receive Canon equipment worth 10,000 Euros. After completion of their projects, ProfiFoto presents the winning entries in the form of a portfolio in the magazine and an online gallery.

 

The competition is open to all who have finished or are about to finish their training in photography or photo design and who are professional photographers or work in related professions. 

 

The event is held twice a year with an independent specialist jury and is cosponsored by Canon Inc. and the online German photography magazine ProfiFoto.

 

SB/YAW

END

Rahmanian to perform “Old Songs” at ECI

August 18, 2013, 8:16 am

≫ Next: Iranian director on Malta filmfest panel

≪ Previous: Iranian photographer honored at Canon ProfiFoto Awards

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- Celebrated Iranian director and playwright Mohammad Rahmanian will stage “Old Songs” at the Shams Hall of the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI) from September 2 to 13.

 

Ali Omrani, Mahtab Nassirpur, Habib Rezaei, Afshin Hashemi, Ali Sarabi, Ashkan Khatibi, Bahareh Moshiri and Masumeh Rahmani will star in the play.

 

The hall is located at No. 3, Nilufar Alley, off Movahhed Danesh St, Aqdasieh District.

 

Rahmanian, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Canada since 2009, has recently returned to Iran and plans to stage “Here Is Tehran” in the capital in September.

 

Rahmanian’s credits include “Fans”, “The Rooster”, “The Bridge”, “The Horses” and “Butterflies”.

 

SB/YAW

END

Iranian director on Malta filmfest panel

August 18, 2013, 8:16 am

≫ Next: Mohammad-Ali Najafi appointed CHTHO director

≪ Previous: Rahmanian to perform “Old Songs” at ECI

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- The Iranian director Mansur Foruzesh has been selected to join the jury of the 5th Malta International TV Short Film Festival, which is currently underway in St. Julian’s, Malta.

 

The British filmmaker Terry Bamber, the production manager of some of James Bond’s films including the latest film “Skyfall”, and the German director Robert Sigl are other members of the jury.

 

The Malta Short Film Festival has been underway since July 2. Entries to the festival are aired every Tuesday from Television Malta (TVM) or stream on the festival’s You Tube channel until August 30.

 

Winners will be announced during a ceremony in St. Julian’s in late September.  

 

SB/YAW

END

Mohammad-Ali Najafi appointed CHTHO director

August 18, 2013, 8:16 am

≫ Next: “Roads of Kiarostami” to open cinematheque in Tehran

≪ Previous: Iranian director on Malta filmfest panel

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- President Hassan Rohani appointed Mohammad-Ali Najafi the director of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) on Saturday.

 

Najafi failed to receive a vote of confidence as education minister during the Iranian parliament’s confirmation process for nominees for ministerial posts last week.  

 

Najafi, 62, was a reformist member of the current Tehran City Council. He was science minister in the administration of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the last prime minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989.

 

He served as education minister for two full terms in Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s administration from 1989 to 1997.

 

He also presided over the Management and Planning Organization in the administration of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the reformist president of Iran from 1997 to 2005.

 

Najafi’s appointment as the director of the CHTHO has received positive responses from a number of cultural heritage organizations.

 

The Society of Iranian Archaeology sent a message of congratulations to Najfi.

 

“Appointing an inexpert group to the CHTHO and their disregard of the capabilities and experience of the expert staff have inflicted serious damage upon the organization over the past few years,” the society said in a message, which was published by some Persian new agencies.

 

The society stressed its readiness to support Najafi’s plans to restore the CHTHO.

 

The Iranian branch of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) welcomed Najafi’s appointment to the CHTHO in a press release on Saturday,

 

“This appointment offers a ray of hope for easing the deep concerns of cultural heritage lovers and experts about the mismanagement of the organization over the past few years,” Iran’s ICOMOS stated.

 

Iran’s ICOMOS Managing Director Mehdi Hojjat was one of persons rumored to be selected by Rohani to run the CHTHO.  

 

By law, CHTHO’s director is a vice president and a member of the cabinet in every administration.   

 

Five persons were selected by former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to preside over the CHTHO during his two terms of administration. The first was his close controversial ally, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii. 

 

Hamid Baqaii, Ruhollah Ahmadzadeh Kermani, Hassan Musavi and Mohammad-Sharif Malekzadeh were other directors of the CHTHO under Ahmadinejad.

 

Analysts have said that the CHTHO have been suffering from mismanagement over the past eight years.

 

In one case, Baqaii appointed Azadeh Ardakani, a microbiologist, to the National Museum of Iran, Iran’s most important museum which keeps tens of thousands of artifacts.

 

MMS/YAW

END

“Roads of Kiarostami” to open cinematheque in Tehran

August 18, 2013, 8:17 am

≫ Next: Sahar to broadcast program on Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Manavi in Bosnian

≪ Previous: Mohammad-Ali Najafi appointed CHTHO director

$

0

0

TEHRAN – “Roads of Kiarostami”, a documentary by Abbas Kiarostami, is scheduled to be screened at the inauguration ceremony of a cinematheque at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran today.

 

Artists, critics and cineastes including Khosro Sinaii, Mohammadreza Aslani, Nureddin Zarrinkelk, and Kiarostami will be attending the opening ceremony, IAF announced in a press release on Sunday.

 

A review session has also been arranged after the film screening.

 

The documentary “Roads of Kiarostami” (2005) depicts static shots of the photos alternating with footage of Kiarostami's car winding through mountain roads as he muses in a voice-over on the significance of the journey and the path in his own work and in Persian literature.

 

Kiarostami has also displayed a collection of his photos from “Roads” in several galleries across Iran and in several other countries, which shows the paths he has traveled and photographed during his journeys.

 

Kiarostami has become famous throughout the world for his filmmaking. However, his artistic expressions are not restricted to the cinema. He has shown talent in other art forms including poetry, set designing, painting and photography.

 

He won the 1997 Palme d’Or at Cannes for “Taste of Cherry” and the 1999 Venice Grand Jury Prize for “The Wind Will Carry Us”.

 

He is also a prominent poet whose work has been published by Harvard University Press in the bilingual English-Persian book “Walking with the Wind” in 2002.

 

RM/YAW

END

Sahar to broadcast program on Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Manavi in Bosnian

August 19, 2013, 7:55 am

≫ Next: Iranian cast actors voicing Farhadi’s “The Past”

≪ Previous: “Roads of Kiarostami” to open cinematheque in Tehran

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- The Bosnian TV section of Iran’s Sahar Universal Network plans to broadcast “The Story of Secrets”, a program on the Masnavi-ye Manavi, the magnum opus of the Persian mystic and poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273), in the near future.

 

Directed by Mostafa Mahmudi, Adel Haji Mohammadovic has translated the 26-episode production into the Bosnian language to be narrated by Samira Nazir, Sahar Universal Network reported in a press release on Monday.

 

Each 10-minute episode aims to introduce Rumi and his book, highlighting his characters and behaviors, and his great influence on society in his time.

 

A collection of stories from Masnavi-ye Manavi will be narrated while a series of paintings created by Simin Jalilian are shown to better attract viewers.

 

Moreover, the Bosnian TV section of Iran’s Sahar Universal Network will broadcast a program named “Forty”, which focuses on social and political issues.

 

RM/YAW

END

---

Iranian cast actors voicing Farhadi’s “The Past”

August 19, 2013, 8:09 am

≫ Next: “Endorphin” receives special mention at Locarno filmfest

≪ Previous: Sahar to broadcast program on Rumi’s Masnavi-ye Manavi in Bosnian

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- A group of celebrated Iranian actors has been hired to dub “The Past”, the French-language film that Asghar Farhadi shot outside of his homeland.

 

He is supervising the process of dubbing, which is currently underway at the Raha Film Studio in Tehran, the Persian daily BaniFilm reported on Sunday.

 

The film is about an Iranian man named Ahmad who returns to Paris from Tehran after a four-year separation, upon his French wife Marie’s request, in order to finalize their divorce.

 

Actress Sareh Bayat provides the voice for Berenice Bejo, who plays the role of Marie Brisson, and actor Mohammadreza Forutan features voice of Tahar Rahim (Samir).

 

In addition, actress Sahar Dowlatshahi provides the voice for Pauline Burlet (Lucie) and Mani Haqiqi is also among the dubbers.

 

Iranian actors Ali Mosaffa and Babak Karimi voice their own role in the film.

 

The Filmiran Company, the Iranian distributor of the film, previously announced that the Persian version of the film will go on screen in theaters in other cities besides Tehran.

 

The film is currently on screen in nine theaters in cities other than Tehran and six theaters in Tehran are screening the film.

 

The film’s DVD will be available in Persian and French for the domestic home video market.

 

The dubbing will be completed by the end of this week, Bani Film Website concluded. 

 

“The Past” brought its French star Berenice Bejo the Palme d’Or for best actress at the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival.

 

SB/YAW

END

“Endorphin” receives special mention at Locarno filmfest

August 19, 2013, 8:26 am

≫ Next: Tbilisi next stop for Gizella Sinaii’s “Travel Diary”

≪ Previous: Iranian cast actors voicing Farhadi’s “The Past”

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- Iranian director Reza Gamini’s “Endorphin” received a special mention at the 66th Locarno International Film Festival, which was held in Switzerland from August 7 to 17.

 

“Endorphin” was screened at the Pardi di domani section, which is dedicated to shorts and medium-length films by young independent directors or film school students, who have not yet tried their hand at feature films. 

 

The film is about a man who loses his family in a car crash and locks himself up at home. After more than a month he decides to go out and leave the house and return to life again.

 

The Golden Leopard Prize of the festival went to the Spanish-French film “Historia de la Meva Mort” (“Story of My Death”) directed by Albert Serra.

 

“E Agora? Lembra-me” (“What now? Remind Me”) by Portuguese documentarian Joaquim Pinto won the Jury Special Prize. 

 

SB/YAW

END

Tbilisi next stop for Gizella Sinaii’s “Travel Diary”

August 19, 2013, 8:27 am

≫ Next: What’s in art galleries

≪ Previous: “Endorphin” receives special mention at Locarno filmfest

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- Iran-based Hungarian artist Gizella Varga Sinaii will display her collection “Travel Dairy” in Tbilisi, Georgia in autumn.

 

The collection “Travel Diary” contains 10 large-size paintings, which narrate the life story of Gizella in Hungary, Austria and Iran.

 

Gizella, wife of leading Iranian filmmaker Khosro Sinaii, was born in 1944 in Chakvar, Hungary. She is a graduate of art from Vienna and has lived in Iran for many years. “These works narrate my life in these three countries, my journey from the West to the East,” Gizella told the Persian service of Fars News Agency.

 

The works have previously been displayed in different countries such as Finland, Austria and Hungary, and will go on display in Tbilisi in autumn, she added.

 

The collection will later be shown in Dubai and several other countries, she said, adding that Iran will be the last stop.

 

She also added that she received the Parallel Cultural Awards at the Hungarian Media Wave Festival for her achievements in connecting the two cultures, while she was displaying her works “Travel Diary” in Hungary two years ago.

 

“My daughter, Samira also staged a performance about my immigration to Iran when I was young,” she added.

 

“I was always in search of art and cultural commonalities between the East and the West and like to seek these commonalities,” she said.

 

RM/YAW

END

What’s in art galleries

August 19, 2013, 7:36 am

≫ Next: “The Foster Child” to compete in Seoul Intl. Youth Film Festival

≪ Previous: Tbilisi next stop for Gizella Sinaii’s “Travel Diary”

$

0

0

Calligraphic painting

 

* A collection of calligraphic paintings by Peyman Sha’afi will be put on display in an exhibition at the Mojdeh Gallery from August 23 to September 2.

 

The collection has been inspired by a number of works by the Persian poet Hafez.

 

The works have been created on canvases, which are in geometric forms like cubes, tetrahedrons, and hexagonal dodecahedra.

 

The gallery is located at No. 27, 18 Eastern St., off Northern Allameh St., in the Saadatabad neighborhood.

 

Sha’afi’s works have been previously showcased at galleries in Dubai and the United States of America.

 

 

Photo

 

* Photos on theme of water are currently on display in an exhibition at the Eyvan Gallery.

 

Works by 29 photographers are on display at the exhibition organized by Tehran Farhang Film Company, and the Educational Center for Photography and Filmmaking.

 

Shamim Jabbari, Farnaz Hashtrudi, Abbas Azizpur, Babak Soltani, Sima Rostamzadeh, Sahar Nojumian, Behzad BafkarMojtaba Shafahi and Mehran Saderi are among the photographers.

 

The exhibit will run until August 22 at the gallery which can be found at No. 25, Kaman valley, off Haqqani crossroad, and Africa Ave.

 

MMS/YAW

END

“The Foster Child” to compete in Seoul Intl. Youth Film Festival

August 20, 2013, 7:58 am

≫ Next: IAF cinematheque will screen rarely-seen movies: manager

≪ Previous: What’s in art galleries

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- “The Foster Child”, a family drama by Iranian director/writer Vahid Nik-khah Azad, will be competing in the 15th Seoul International Youth Film Festival, which will open in the South Korean capital tomorrow.

 

The film tells parallel stories in which several children face identity crises in their families.

 

Nik-Khah Azad received a Golden Butterfly for Best Screenwriter for the film at the 26th International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults in Isfahan in October 2012. He also won a special jury award for the film.

 

In addition, Arshia Sadeqi won a Golden Butterfly for Best Child Actor for his role in “The Foster Child”.

 

“This film is typically my own life story,” children’s filmmaker Nik-Khah Azad said during a press conference at the festival.   

 

“My children were raised without their father for a period of time because I was very busy working for the children of my people,” he added.

 

“I hope making this film reduces my feelings of guilt about my own children,” he stated.

 

The film will be screened in the Teen’s Eye section of the festival, which will run until August 29.

 

There will be two screenings for the film at Arirang 1 Theater on August 24 and 28.

 

MMS/YAW

END

IAF cinematheque will screen rarely-seen movies: manager

August 20, 2013, 7:58 am

≫ Next: Album comprising works of Iranian musicians of Ottoman courts released

≪ Previous: “The Foster Child” to compete in Seoul Intl. Youth Film Festival

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- The manager of the newly-established cinematheque of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) has announced that he will try to screen rarely–seen movies in the theater hall.

 

“We have plans to turn this place into a favorite haunt of professional moviegoers who like to see good films and talk good about cinema. We aim to make use of film critics who have something new to say here,” Keivan Kasirian said during the inauguration ceremony of the cinematheque here on Monday.

 

He said that the cinematheque will try to attract filmgoers to participate in discussions and reviews about cinema. 

 

“We also plan to invite international critics to attend our film screening programs,” he stated.

 

Abbas Kiarostami’s documentary “Roads of Kiarostami” was screened at the inauguration ceremony of the IAF cinematheque that was attended by artists, critics and cineastes including Khosro Sinaii, Mohammadreza Aslani, Nureddin Zarrinkelk and Kiarostami.

 

Filmmaker Khosro Sinaii also made a brief speech at the opening ceremony and said that he hopes to see a new type of cinema in this cinematheque. “By coming here and watching the movies, movie fans can understand that cinema is not what has been known across the world. “

 

RM/YAW

END

Album comprising works of Iranian musicians of Ottoman courts released

August 20, 2013, 8:36 am

≫ Next: Czech filmfest to screen “Pomegranate Is the Fruit of Paradise”

≪ Previous: IAF cinematheque will screen rarely-seen movies: manager

$

0

0

TEHRAN – An album containing a selection of works attributed to Iranian musicians of the Ottoman courts in Istanbul, has been released in Tehran.

 

The album entitled “Ajamlar” has been recorded by the Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. It comprises works of Hassan Jan, Shah Qoli, Changi Jafar and several other musicians, who were apparently taken to the Ottoman courts during the Safavid dynasty (1501-1722), Persian news agencies reported on Tuesday.

 

Arash Mohafez has selected the works, which were performed by an Iranian band that included Farid Kheradmand, Behnaz Behnamnia, Ehsan Abedi, Shiva Abedi, Asareh Shekarchi, Farshad Tavakkoli, Bahareh Fayyazi and Amir Sharifi.

 

The album also contains compositions by several non-Iranian musicians of the same time period.

 

RM/YAW

END

---

Czech filmfest to screen “Pomegranate Is the Fruit of Paradise”

August 20, 2013, 8:36 am

≫ Next: IRIB to air doc on French Orientalist Charles-Henri de Fouchecour

≪ Previous: Album comprising works of Iranian musicians of Ottoman courts released

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- The Iranian short film “Pomegranate Is the Fruit of Paradise” will be going on screen at the 13th Písek International Student Film Festival in Czech.

 

The film is about a girl named Shadi whose family does not allow her go to school. Her friend decides he will try to teach her himself.

 

Directed by Taymur Qaderi, the film will compete at the festival, which will be held from October 5 to 7. 

 

SB/YAW

END

IRIB to air doc on French Orientalist Charles-Henri de Fouchecour

August 20, 2013, 8:37 am

≫ Next: “A Prophet” discussed in Tehran

≪ Previous: Czech filmfest to screen “Pomegranate Is the Fruit of Paradise”

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- An Iranian documentary about French Orientalist and Hafez expert Charles-Henri de Fouchecour entitled “Majnun” will be aired on Channel 1 of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) this Friday.

 

Directed by Mohammad-Ali Farsi, the documentary is part 2 of a trilogy, which has been produced to spotlight three prominent Western Orientalists.

 

“The Lost Truth” is part 1 of the trilogy. It is about English writer Edward Fitzgerald, who is best known as the poet of the first and most famous English translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

 

The last part will focus on English Orientalist R.A. Nicholson, a translator of Rumi’s works.

 

Shooting the documentary began in September 2010. Farsi’s crew made three trips to France for making the documentary.

 

De Fouchecour is famous for his translation of the Divan of Hafez. He served as the director of the Iranology Department of l’Institut Français in Tehran from 1975-1979. 

 

From 1972 to 1985, he also held the chair of Persian at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris. 

 

From 1985 to 1993, he was a professor at the New Sorbonne University and director of its Institut d’Etudes Iraniennes. He is now professor emeritus at this university.

 

His work in the field of classical Persian literature is vast. He was the founder and director of Abstracta Iranica, a bibliographical and critical review of Iranian studies. 

 

He has published about 50 articles on Persian literature.
 

SB/YAW

END

“A Prophet” discussed in Tehran

August 21, 2013, 8:07 am

≫ Next: Niyush to celebrate Hafez Day in Germany

≪ Previous: IRIB to air doc on French Orientalist Charles-Henri de Fouchecour

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- “A Prophet”, a joint French-Italian production directed by Jacques Audiard, was reviewed by a number of Iranian critics during a session in Tehran on Wednesday.

 

Mohammadreza Moqaddasian, Mohammadreza Lotfi and Seyyed Saeid Hashemzadeh discussed the film after a screening, which was organized by the Cultural and Artistic Organization of the Tehran Municipality at its Center for Artistic Cultural Cooperation.

 

Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup and Adel Bencherif starred in the film, which is about a young Arab man who is sent to a French prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin.

 

Audiard is a French film director, the son of filmmaker Michel Audiard, also a notable screenwriter.

 

He won twice both the César Award for Best Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Film in 2005 for “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” and in 2010 for “A Prophet”.

 

SB/YAW

END

Niyush to celebrate Hafez Day in Germany

August 21, 2013, 8:05 am

≫ Next: “The Past” star doesn’t enjoy acting

≪ Previous: “A Prophet” discussed in Tehran

$

0

0

TEHRAN – Niyush, an Iranian ensemble which is led by singer Sorush Qahremanlu, will be giving a performance in Cologne, Germany on on October 12, which is Iran’s National Hafez Day.

 

The ensemble has been invited by the Cologne New Philharmonic Orchestra and aims to make Germans more familiar with Iran’s culture and music, Qahremanlu told the Persian service of ISNA on Wednesday.

 

He added that the Spain-based West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has also collaborated in organizing the concert, which is named “New Sounds of Iran”.

 

The band features Keikavus Mokhtari on piano, Arash Ardforush on guitar and Sohrab Fat’halizadeh on percussion.

 

RM/YAW

END

“The Past” star doesn’t enjoy acting

August 21, 2013, 8:08 am

≫ Next: Tehran museum displays works of Saqqakhaneh Movement artists

≪ Previous: Niyush to celebrate Hafez Day in Germany

$

0

0

TEHRAN -- Ali Mosaffa, the Iranian star of Asghar Farhadi’s “The Past”, said that he does not enjoy acting.

 

“I do not take pleasure in acting, it somehow annoys me,” Mosaffa told the Persian service of ISNA on Wednesday.

 

“As much as I can, I often try to evade acting,” he added.

 

However, he has been a leading actor in many Iranian TV series and films including Ziaeddin Dorri’s “The English Bag”, and Dariush Mehrjuii’s “Pari” and “Leila”. 

 

He has spent about all the last year in Paris learning the language for the portrayal of Ahmad in “The Past”.   

 

“The film will surely produce positive outcomes and also open new horizons for our cinema,” Mosaffa said.

 

He costarred with Berenice Bejo, who won the best actress Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes for her role in the film.

 

“All members of the cast knew that they were working with someone, whose native language is not French. So, they helped me very much, especially Mrs. Berenice Bejo,” he stated.

 

He also practiced with his actress wife, Leila Hatami, who speaks fluent French.

    

Mosaffa said that he is more interested in film directing and announced his plan to make his third film. However, he declined to give more details about it. He made his directorial debut with “Portrait of a Lady Far Away” in 2005.

 

He also appeared in “The Last Step” that he directed in 2012.

 

MMS/YAW

END