“Timeloss” to go on stage in U.S.

January 15, 2015, 2:18 pm

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TEHRAN - The Mehr Theater Group led by Iranian director and writer Amir-Reza Kuhestani will perform “Timeloss” in the American cities of New York and Los Angeles.

 

“Timeloss”, a fiery story about the passage of time, is another version of “Dance on Glass”, which Kuhestani staged in 2001.

 

The play is an entry to “Under the Radar Festival”, a festival tracking new theater from around the world that is taking place at the Public Theater in New York from January 7 to 18. 

 

The troupe will have their first performance tomorrow night. They will have three more performances at the Public Theater until January 18.

 

Their next performance will be in the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Los Angeles on January 21 and 22.

 

Starring Hassan Majuni and Mahin Sadri, the play will be performed in Persian with English supertitles.

 

The play was staged at the Paris Autumn Festival in November 2014. It has also been staged in Hamburg, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva and Rotterdam.

 

Kuhestani is one of Iran’s most successful and prolific playwright-directors. 

 

His “Dance on Glass” won international acclaim and toured for four years. He is the first director to win two consecutive awards for the best theater production of the year in Iran for his play “Ivanov” (2011) and “The Fourth Wall” (2012).

 

RM/YAW

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“Track 143” published in Tehran

January 15, 2015, 2:20 pm

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TEHRAN – Persian war novel “Track 143”, based on which a film of the same title was produced last year, was unveiled at Tehran’s Andisheh Cultural Center on Tuesday.

 

Published by Sureh-Mehr Publications, the book has been written by Narges Abyar, who also directed the movie, the Persian service of MNA reported on Wednesday.

 

“Track 143” highlights the story of a mother named Olfat, a woman who is waiting for her son, who has been missing in action since the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, to return home.

 

“The book actually tells the stories of thirteen young adult combatants who went to the war, however the story of the mother of one of the boys was particularly interesting to me so I wanted to highlight it,” Abyar said at the ceremony.

 

“I completed research on the book in 2001 and 2002, and published it in 2006. The novel was selected as the best novel of Iran’s Sacred Defense Book of the Year awards. However, it was not well received, but later it was published under the title ‘Track 143’”, she added.

 

Abyar continued that she believes mothers who are waiting for their missing-in-action sons are the real mothers, adding, “I have seen many women like (Olfat) around me in the streets, in the neighborhood, or even among relatives, and I tried to concentrate on those characters of whom I have better knowledge”.

 

She also added, “Our country needs a proper definition of anti-war drama. I wish there was such a definition so that not all stories dealing with the aftermath of the war would be called anti-war novels.

 

“We were victims of the war and we should show the world what has happened during these eight years. Showing the consequences of the war does not equate to being anti-war,” she explained.

 

Addressing the participants, she concluded, “We have many characters and heroes, whom we must portray. So please pray for me, since I want to continue on this path and it is one of my wishes to make films for the heroes of my country.”

 

Filmmaker Ali Basheh-Ahangar who was also present at the ceremony congratulated Abyar for her portrayal of the painful emotional moments and her respect for the families of the martyrs.

 

He called the mothers of the martyrs and their families a great treasure of the eight-year Sacred Defense (1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war) and asked the Muslims to help register images of their words and love.

 

The film “Track 143” was widely acclaimed at the 32nd Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran last February.

 

Merila Zarei, Mehran Ahmadi, Gelareh Abbasi, Yadollah Shademani and Javad Ezzati star in the film.

 

Zarei won a Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress for the portrayal of Olfat in “Track 143” at the festival.

 

Abyar received the special jury prize and her film was selected as the Audience Favorite Film at the festival.

 

RM/YAW

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Art news in brief

January 16, 2015, 12:09 pm

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Exhibition of Persian calligraphy underway in Moscow 

 

TEHRAN – Works by Iranian calligraphy Ali Ganji are currently on display in an exhibition at Iran’s cultural attaché’s office in Moscow.

 

Member of the Writers’ Union of Russia Vladimir Zakharov and Abdolqasem Esmaeilpur, the Iranian scholar teaching Persian literature and language at the Moscow State University, attended the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

 

The exhibit runs until January 24.

 

 

Iranian films to go on screen in Bulgarian festival 

TEHRAN – The 7th edition of the Sofia MENAR Film Festival dedicated its “In Focus” section to screening a selection of independent films from Iran.

 

“Fish and Cat” directed by Shahram Mokri, “I Am Not Angry” by Reza Dormishian, “Melbourne” by Nima Javidi, “The Last Step” by Ali Mosaffa, and “The Wedlock” by Ruhollah Hejazi are among the films to go on screen in this section of the Bulgarian festival, which will run until February 1.

 

RM/YAW

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Kayhan Kalhor to team up with Dutch band for tour of Netherlands

January 16, 2015, 12:12 pm

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TEHRAN – Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor will perform with the Rembrandt Frerichs Trio during their tour of the Netherlands, which will take place from February 13 to 15.

 

The first performance will be held at the RASA Hall in Utrecht on February 13. 

 

The next concert will be performed at the Orgelpark Hall in Amsterdam on February 14 and the De Doelen Hall in Rotterdam will host the band on February 15.

 

The trio was established by Dutch pianist Rembrandt Frerichs. He has a couple of ensembles of his own. His works are influenced by the American jazz tradition and Arabic music. 

 

SB/YAW

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What’s in art galleries

January 16, 2015, 12:22 pm

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 Painting

 

* Mina Gallery is hosting an exhibition of paintings by Ali-Asghar Qarebaghi.

 

The exhibition runs until January 22 at the gallery, which can be found at 120 Golestan-e Dovvom Alley, off Pasdaran Ave.

 

* Paintings by Ardeshir Mohasses are on display in an exhibition at the Sam Art Dastaan Gallery.

 

The exhibit runs until January 31 at the gallery located on the 1st floor, Sam Center, Fereshteh St.

 

* Shokuh Gallery will host an exhibition of paintings by 19-century renowned Iranian and European artists.

 

The show will continue until January 21 at the gallery, which can be found at 19 Amir Nuri Alley, North Salimi St. near Andarzgu Blvd.

 

* An exhibition of paintings by Maryam Khazaii is currently underway at Haft-Samar Gallery.

 

The exhibit runs until January 21 at the gallery located at No. 8, Fifth Alley, Kuh-e Nur St., off Motahhari Ave.

 

* Paintings by Hamid Derakhshandeh are on display in a showcase at Etemad Gallery.

 

The exhibition runs until January 27 at the gallery, which can be found at 4 Bukan St. off Sadeqi Qomi St., near Yasser Square in the Niavaran neighborhood.

 

* Seyhun Gallery is playing host to an exhibition of paintings by Afshin Baqeri.

 

The exhibition runs until January 28 at the gallery located at No. 11, 4th Alley, Vozara St.

 

* Paintings by Ana Darab and Milad Khanevadeh are on display in an exhibition at the Fereshteh branch of Tehran’s Book City Institute.

 

The exhibition runs until January 28 at the gallery located at No. 32, Darbandi St., off Tajrish Sq.

 

* An exhibition of paintings by Saeid Rafiei-Monfared is currently underway at Vaali Gallery.

 

The show runs until January 27at the gallery located at 71 Khoddami St. off Vanak Square.

 

* Paintings by Sara Qazi-Asadi are on display in an exhibition at Vista Gallery.

 

The exhibit runs until January 26 at the gallery located on 12th Alley, Miremad Av.

 

* Aqili Gallery is hosting a group exhibition of paintings.

 

The exhibition runs until January 28 at the gallery located at 1991 Farvardin Alley, off Simaye Iran St., in the Shahrak-e Gharb district.

 

SB/YAW

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Berlinale to screen “Atom-Heart Mother”

January 16, 2015, 12:21 pm

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TEHRAN -- “Atom-Heart Mother” by Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh will be screened in the Forum section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival -- Berlinale, which will open On February 5.

 

The film, Ahmadzadeh’s second, begins with a goodbye party to Kami, who is going to leave Iran to start a new life in Tunisia.

 

The Forum is the most daring section of the Berlin festival, which focuses on avant-garde, experimental works, essays, long-term observations and yet-to-be-discovered cinematic landscapes. 

 

Forty-three films will be shown in the Forum’s main program.

 

The festival will also show “Taxi” by Iranian director Jafar Panahi in the main competition section.

 

The story of the documentary-like film is set in a Tehran taxi that is driven by Panahi.

 

The film will compete with seven other productions, including Werner Herzog’s “Queen of the Desert” and Bill Condon’s “Mr. Holmes”.

 

MMS/YAW

END

 

DEFC produces biopic on Persian scholar Jafar Shahidi

January 16, 2015, 12:17 pm

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TEHRAN – The Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) has produced a biopic of Jafar Shahidi (1918-2008), an expert on Persian literature and a prominent Islamic historian.

 

Directed by Manuchehr Moshiri, the biopic “And I Am the Diver and the Tavern Is the Sea” was screened at Tehran’s Negarestan Garden on Wednesday, the Persian service of MNA reported on Friday.

 

Shahidi’s daughter Shokufeh Shahidi, the daughter of Persian lexicographer Mohammad Moin (1914-1971), Mahdokht Moin, and a number of other literati attended the ceremony.

 

Mahdokht who was a student of Jafar Shahidi called the biopic useful and impressive for the generation of today.

 

“Master Shahidi did not allow others to make a film about him. I asked his daughter Shokufeh to persuade him to consent. Moshiri was also successful in his production,” Mahdokht said.

 

She added, “Master Shahidi was famous for his moral goodness. He was one of the few scholars who merged knowledge, action and mysticism together.”

 

Mohammad Dehqani, a student of Shahidi, next made a brief speech at the ceremony recalling his memoirs with the master in his classes.

 

“The classes with Shahidi were among the most useful and helpful ones we had during the Ph.D. program. Other students from several other classes also used to attend his classes to make use of his lectures. He was good-tempered and he used to tolerate discussions with his students,” he added.

 

Shahidi was a pupil of lexicographer Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda, who wrote the most comprehensive unabridged Persian dictionary. He later became a director of the then Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, which Dehkhoda had established in 1945 to complete the dictionary.

 

He got a Ph.D. in Persian language and literature from the University of Tehran in 1961 and continued his studies at the Qom and Najaf seminaries, where he received permission to practice ijtihad, the use of reason to arrive at the knowledge of truth in religious matters.

 

His most notable work is the fluent and eloquent translation of Imam Ali’s Nahj-ul-Balagha. He was also the author of “Analytical History of Islam”, which won Iran’s best book of the year award in 2006.

 

RM/YAW

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What’s in art galleries

January 17, 2015, 12:03 pm

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Photo

* Photos by Vahid Bahri are currently on display in an exhibition at the Aaran Plus Gallery.

 

The exhibit runs until January 21 at the gallery, which can be found in the Rolex Shopping Center, between Mahmudieh and Zafaranieh districts on Vali-e Asr Ave.

 

* Works by 17 photographers are on show in an exhibition at the Igreg Gallery.

 

The exhibition runs until February 5 at the gallery located at 28 Mohajer Alley, off Iranshahr Ave.

 

Sculpture

* Jorjani Gallery is hosting an exhibition of sculptures by Hamidreza Eyni.

 

The exhibition runs until January 24 at the gallery located at 4 Khayyam Alley, above the Park Way Intersection, off Vali-e Asr Ave.

 

* An exhibition of sculptures by Zahra Navaii is currently underway at the Dastaan Basement Gallery.

 

The exhibit will continue until January 24 at the gallery, which can be found at 6 Bidar St., off Fereshteh Ave.

 

Painting

* Paintings by Hengameh Sadri are on display in an exhibition at Sareban Gallery.

 

The show runs until January 26 at the gallery located at 8 Mehmandust St., off Shahid Beheshti Ave.

 

Graphic design 

* Graphic designs by Farish Alborzkuh are on display in an exhibit at Shirin Gallery.

 

The exhibition runs until January 27 at the gallery located at No. 9, 18th St. in the Velenjak neighborhood.

 

Drawing 

* A group exhibition of drawings and paintings is underway at Kargah Honar Gallery.

 

The exhibit runs until January 29 at the gallery located at 2 Yas dead-end, Farrokhi Yazdi St., off Pasdaran Ave.

 

* Golestan Gallery is playing host to an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Morteza Khosravi.

 

The show runs until January 21 at the gallery located at 42 Kamasaii St. in the Darus neighborhood.

 

Illustration 

* A group of illustrators is displaying their latest works in an exhibition at the Idea Gallery.

 

The exhibit runs until January 26 at the gallery located at No. 26, 18th St., off North Kheradmand Ave, near Karimkhan Bridge.

 

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Rouhani visits exhibition of artifacts recovered in Belgian museum

January 17, 2015, 12:08 pm

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TEHRAN -- President Hassan Rouhani visited an exhibition at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran on Saturday of a collection of 349 Persian artifacts, which Belgium sent back to Iran after a legal battle that lasted 33 years.

 

Rouhani’s special aide, Hossein Fereidun, and Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization Director Masud Soltanifar along with a number of cultural officials accompanied him during the visit.

 

In an address, Rouhani congratulated the Iranian people for the recovery of artifacts.

 

He called the collection invaluable and said that recovering the artifacts is “a clear manifestation of Iranians’ will and the capability of the country’s legal sector in protecting the rights of the Iranian people.”

 

“The objects, which belongs to our ancestors, show us the plan that we should have for the future and how to use the experiences of the past,” he added.

 

“Organizing the exhibitions, which showcase the ancient civilization of Iran, could relieve notably the atmosphere of Iranophobia in the world,” he stated.

 

The collection, which consists of pottery and metal artifacts, arrived in Tehran on December 25, 2014.

 

The artifacts had been excavated from a 4000-year-old ancient site near the village of Khorvin, over 60 kilometers west of Tehran.

 

With the help of a Belgian diplomat, Yolande Wolfcarius-Maleki, a French national who acquired Iranian nationality by marriage in 1965, transferred the artifacts to Belgium 35 years ago.

 

Wolfcarius-Maleki loaned the collection to the Department of Archaeology at Ghent University. In 1981, Iran filed a lawsuit in Brussels court against the French woman after being informed about artifacts at the university.

 

Subsequently, the artifacts were confiscated pursuant to the court’s ruling and the collection was transferred to the Cinquantenaire Museum until the court reached its final decision.   

 

Wolfcarius-Maleki died, but her heirs pursued the case.

 

In 1998, the court rejected Iran’s claim on the artifacts. However, Iran filed an appeal in a court in Liège, where Wolfcarius-Maleki’s heirs won the legal case. 

 

Iran filed an appeal in the supreme court of Liège and the court reversed the lower court’s order in October 2014 and ruled that antiquities must be sent back to Iran.

 

MMS/YAW

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Art news in brief

January 17, 2015, 12:12 pm

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“Social Learning Theory” to be tested at Spanish festival

TEHRAN -- Iranian director Purya Heidari-Ureh’s “Social Learning Theory” will go on screen at the Lanzarote International Film Festival (FICL), which will be held in Spain from March 16 to 28. 

 

The film is about the social behavior children display in their games.

 

Islamic studies center to honor translator Mohammad Qazi

TEHRAN -- The Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia (CGIE) in Tehran will commemorate the veteran Iranian translator Mohammad Qazi (1913–1998) in August 2015.

 

His works will be discussed during the ceremony, which will probably be held on August 3, which is his birthday.

 

Iranian envoy meets Slovenian culture minister 

TEHRAN – The Iranian ambassador to Slovenia, Morteza Darzi-Ramani, visited the Slovenian minister of culture, Julijana Bizjak Mlakar, in Ljubljana on Friday.

 

Ways for the expansion of cultural relations were discussed during the meeting. 

 

Berlinale to screen another Iranian film 

TEHRAN – Iranian director Hamed Rajabi’s “A Minor Leap Down” will premiere at the Panorama section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival -- Berlinale, which will open on February 5.

 

A co-production of Iran and France, the film is about a woman who in the fourth month of her pregnancy realizes the fetus inside her womb has died. Nevertheless, she decides to keep silent.

 

“Atom-Heart Mother” by Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh and “Taxi” by Jafar Panahi will also go on screen at the festival.

 

“1-0” among New York filmfest’s lineup 

TEHRAN – Iranian director Saman Hosseinpur’s short film “1-0” will go on screen at the 17th BAMkids Film Festival, which will be held in New York on February 7 and 8.

 

The film, which is a joint production of Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan, is about a little boy who gets so excited watching soccer that he forgets he’s right in the middle of getting a haircut.

 

The festival is organized annually by the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

 

SB/YAW

END 

Typography works by Iranian, Arab artists on display at Michigan museum

January 17, 2015, 12:22 pm

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TEHRAN – The Arab American National Museum in Michigan is hosting an exhibition of typography works by ten Iranian and Arab artists.

 

The exhibition, which opened at the museum’s Lower Level Gallery on November 26, 2014, runs until February 5.

 

Iranian artist Puya Jahanshahi and U.S.-based Syrian graphic designer Maece Seirafi are the curators of the showcase.

 

The 10 artists come from diverse Middle Eastern backgrounds, but all live in California and use the Persian and Arabic alphabets in their designs. 

 

The works were created by Iranian artists Kurosh Beigpur, Sam Anvari, Paymon Pojhan, Ebrahim Pustinchi, Puya Jahanshahi and Shila Shakuri, and Arab graphic designers Yusef al-Ahmad, Milka Broukhim, Maece Seirafi and Reem Hammad.

 

SB/YAW

END

 

Iranian publishers berate Charlie Hebdo’s insulting cartoon on Prophet Muhammad (S)

January 17, 2015, 12:23 pm

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TEHRAN – Over 150 Iranian publishers have strongly censured the French satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, for publishing an insulting cartoon of Prophet Muhammad (S) on the cover of its latest edition last week.

 

In a statement issued on Friday by the publishers, all of which are members of the Union of Islamic Revolution Publishers, they asked Muslims to unify against actions insulting to Islam.  

 

In addition, a group of art and cultural figures condemned the French magazine in their recent talks with different Persian media.

 

TV host Nima Karami said that he condemns any actions of extremism and Islamophobia under the name of religion, adding, “Here, Daesh [Arabic acronym for ISIL] terrorists and all those who write articles against Islam and the Prophet of Islam (S) are condemned”.

 

Satirist Reza Rafi said that any action performed out of absolute violence is condemned by Islam, and this is against the approach of the Prophet (S) who has came for dialogue and has brought the message of kindness.

 

Actor Majid Mozaffari also stated his condemnation and said, “They (the French magazine) have no knowledge of our beliefs and religious issues. We have never insulted their beliefs in our magazines, since it is unbecoming for us to insult. They will sure see the aftermath of their obnoxious actions.” 

 

The first edition of Charlie Hebdo published on Tuesday since nine of its contributors were murdered has a cover showing the Prophet Mohammad and the slogan, “Tout est pardonné,” French for “All is forgiven”.

 

RM/YAW

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London hosting conference on protecting Iranian cultural heritage

January 17, 2015, 12:19 pm

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TEHRAN – The Asia House of London is playing host to an international conference on protecting Iranian cultural heritage.

 

Entitled “From Persepolis to Isfahan: Safeguarding Cultural Heritage”, the three-day conference has been organized by the Iran Heritage Foundation and will come to an end today, the foundation announced.

 

According to the organizer, the conference is reviewing the extent of the damage to monuments and archaeological sites in Iran to raise awareness of the problem and to chart the best practice worldwide.

 

Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor and the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum Martin Roth presented their articles on protecting cultural heritage across the Middle East on the first day.

 

On the second day, Deputy Director of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (ICHTHO) Mohammad-Hassan Talebian and Pierfrancesco Callieri from Bologna as well as Laurenzi Tabasso from Italy reviewed recent diagnostic investigations on the stone monuments of the Persepolis terrace.

 

Remy Boucharlat from Lyons, France will discuss rescue excavations in the Sivand Dam in southern Iran’s Fars Province today.

 

Dariush Borbor from Tehran will review threats to cultural heritage from urban development in Iran, and Prof. Jukka Jokilehto from the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) will also talk about urban conservation from Persepolis to Isfahan today.

 

The conference will conclude with a question and answer panel with the audience in attendance.

 

RM/YAW

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Iranian and Lebanese musicians team up to perform in Paris

January 18, 2015, 11:49 am

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TEHRAN – Iranian tar player Azad Mirzapur along with two Lebanese oud players Charbel Rouhana and Elie Khoury will give a joint concert at the Theatre Des Abbesses in Paris on January 31.

 

The three will perform an oriental mix at the concert, Mirzapur told the Persian service of MNA on Sunday.

 

The concert has been divided into three parts with solo performance of oud, tar, and a combination of Arab and Iranian music, he said.

 

Mirzapur added that the surprising point is that his compositions are based on Arab music, while Rouhana’s compositions are rooted in Persian music.

 

Composer and member of the Beirut Oriental Ensemble, Rouhana is also famous for having created a new oud learning method. 

 

RM/YAW

END 

 

Fajr theater festival announces intl. lineup

January 18, 2015, 11:54 am

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TEHRAN – The 33rd Fajr International Theater Festival announced the international lineup on Saturday.

 

Twenty five theater troupes, 19 of which are from Iran, will compete in this section of the festival.

 

The plays “Tehran-Rome-Amsterdam-London” by the Iranian director Arvand Dasht-Aray, which is a joint production of Iran and the Netherlands, and the joint production of Iran and Italy “Human Castle”, by Iranian director Ali Shams, are among the competitors.

 

“Flight over the City” by Narine Grigoryan from Armenia and “Odyssey Complex” by Felix Mathias Ott from Germany and three other plays from Oman, Russia and the Netherlands will also compete in this section. 

 

“Death of the Salesman” by director Nader Borhani-Marand, “Only for Me” by Chista Yasrebi, “Comment” by Yusef Bapiri and “Oliver Twist” by Asghar Khalili are among the Iranian entries of the section.

 

The festival will be held from January 21 to February 1 in Tehran.

 

SB/YAW

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Veteran stage and screen actor Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz honored

January 18, 2015, 11:44 am

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TEHRAN -- Veteran stage and screen actor Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz was honored on Saturday during a ceremony attended by a large number of cineastes and fans held at Tehran’s Arasbaran Cultural Center.

 

Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz, 84, has played several memorable roles in Iranian cinema. Among his credits are “Mother” and “Love-Stricken” by Ali Hatami.

 

Speaking at the ceremony, Iranian National Commission for UNESCO Director Mohammadreza Saeidabadi recited selections of poetry by Ferdowsi and Rumi, and presented the poems to Keshavarz and said, “We will do our best to introduce our art and cultural figures to the world more.”

 

Iranian Theater Forum Managing Director Iraj Raad was called on stage to talk about the actor.

 

He regarded Keshavarz as one of the great actors who is famous for his humanity, adding, “Keshavarz has a specific voice. He is a capable actor and also helps the youth.

 

“His power, his special appeal, his independence and his ability to perform diverse roles enabled him to communicate with the audience better,” he added.

 

The ceremony continued with screening excerpts of films in which he had played a role such as Ali Hatami’s “Mother.”

 

Film critic Akbar Aalami in his short speech referred to the roles the master had played in, including the TV series “My Uncle Napoleon” by Nasser Taqvaii (1976).

 

Actor Jamshid Hashempur and Akbar Zanjanpur also appeared on stage to talk about their friend Keshavarz.

 

Pianist Saman Ehteshami performed pieces from the two TV series Keshavarz had played in, “Patriarch” by Akbar Khajuii and “Hezar-Dastan” by Ali Hatami.

 

Keshavarz was the last who went on stage despite his illness and expressed his thanks to all the participants in his friendly words.

 

Addressing the participants, he said, “If I did something, you were the source of inspiration and I would suggest that the youth who are interested in acting should try to get to know their country better.

 

“They should learn to be noble, the youth should learn to love their country,” he concluded.

 

Born in 1930 in Isfahan, Keshavarz began his stage acting career in 1948 and entered the world of cinema with “Night of the Hunchback” by Farrokh Ghaffari in 1964.

 

He has so far acted in many famous hits including “Mother”, “Kamalolmolk” and “Delshodegan” by Ali Hatami, and “Through the Olive Trees” by Abbas Kiarostami.

 

His roles in TV series such as “Sarbedaran” and “Hezar-Dastan” are also significant.

 

RM/YAW

END

Jaipur filmfest to honor Majid Majidi

January 19, 2015, 11:54 am

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TEHRAN -- India’s 7th Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) will honor the Iranian director Majid Majidi with a lifetime achievement award.

 

He will be honored during the opening ceremony of the festival on February 1, the Hindu newspaper reported on Monday.

 

“Children of Heaven”, “Baran and “The Willow Tree” are among his credits. His “Children of Heaven” received a nomination at the Academy Awards.

 

Majid will preside over the jury of the 33rd Fajr Film Festival, which will open in Tehran on February 1 with a screening of his latest film “Muhammad (S)”, about the childhood of the Prophet of Islam,. 

 

The Jaipur festival, which runs until February 5, will also screen five Iranian movies.

 

“We Have a Guest” directed by Mohammad-Mehdi Asgarpur, “Today” by Reza Mirkarimi and “Bending Rules” by Behnam Behzadi will be screened in the main section of the festival.

 

“Unclean”, a short film by Bahman and Bahram Ark, and “Iranian Ninja”, a documentary film by Marjan Riahi, will also go on screen at the event.

 

SB/YAW

END

 

Iranian, Tajik publishers to discuss ways to develop printing industry

January 19, 2015, 12:02 pm

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TEHRAN – Some Iranian and Tajik publishers will come together in a meeting in Tehran during February to discuss ways to develop printing industry in their countries.  

 

The Iran-Tajikistan Friendship Association is the organizer of the event, which will be held for the second time.

 

The first meeting was held in September in Dushanbe, the secretary of the association, Javad Rasuli, told the Persian service of MNA on Monday.

 

He said that Tajikistan will be the guest of honor at the 28th Tehran International Book Fair and added, “The meeting can lead to more cooperation between the publishers in the two countries.” 

 

“We are seeking to exchange thoughts and experiences in the field of culture and economy in this association,” he added.

 

He said that the publishers plan to find solutions for existing problems in the publishing industry of the two countries.

 

SB/YAW

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Qajar era house converted into Graphics Museum of Iran

January 19, 2015, 11:57 am

≫ Next: Moshfeq Kashani dies of heart failure while reading poem

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TEHRAN – The Arbab Hormoz House, a building in Tehran which belonged to a Zoroastrian during the Qajar era, has been converted into the Graphics Museum of Iran.

 

 

The museum was inaugurated on Sunday during a ceremony attended by a large number of art and cultural officials and graphic designers.

 

The house located in Police Park in Tehran’s eastern district of Tehranpars was restored by the Tehran Municipality’s Beautification Organization.   

 

Addressing the audience sitting in the yard enjoying a few brief moments of snow in the capital Tehran, the senior advisor of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) Mohammad Beheshti praised the organization for its positive movement.

 

“The organization has performed a great job and this is a good event for the capital Tehran,” he said.

 

Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani expressed his hope that more museums such as the museum of theater would be added to the current number of museums because they link history to present day Iran.

 

Next, the Iranian Graphic Designers Society (IGDS), IGDS Director Ali Rashidi explained that over 10,000 works have been selected for display at the museum by a team of experts headed by Majid Baluch.

 

“Some of which are on show and the rest will be displayed gradually,” he added. 

 

The City Council member Ahmad Masjed-Jamei said that the renovation of old monuments across the city is a fine act helping to showcase historical monuments to the public.

 

Jamal Kamyab, Managing Director of the Beautification Organization also briefed the audience on the process of the renovation of the monument which took about two years to be completed.

 

Afterwards the participants visited different parts of the museum to see the artworks hanging on the walls of the beautiful edifice.

 

RM/YAW

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Moshfeq Kashani dies of heart failure while reading poem

January 19, 2015, 11:38 am

≫ Next: Iranian society to honor master calligrapher Gholamhossein Amirkhani

≪ Previous: Qajar era house converted into Graphics Museum of Iran

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TEHRAN -- The Iranian poet Moshfeq Kashani, who is considered one of the restorers of Persian classical poetry, passed away due to heart failure while reading a poem during a session in Tehran on Sunday evening. He was 89.

“He was immediately transferred to the Iranmehr Hospital, but physicians’ efforts to save him were in vain and this prominent poet died,” poet Afshin Ala, who also was in attendance at the poetry session, told the Persian service of ISNA on Sunday.

 

He said that the session was organized by the Iranian Poets’ Society to celebrate the 54th birthday of poet Soheil Mahmudi.

 

Born as Abbas Kaymanesh in the central Iranian city of Kashan, he began writing under the penname Moshfeq Kashani.

 

He composed over ten collections of poems and books, including “Ballade of Life”, “Memoires”, “Wine of Sun”, “Lightening”, “The Mirror of Imagination”, “The Red Spring of Ballade” and “The Mystery of Winter”.

 

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance commemorated Moshfeq Kashani for his lifetime achievements during a ceremony in August 2013.

 

His works were highly regarded by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

 

“Mr. Moshfeq Kashani is one of the eminent poets of our time… His odes are full-blown, full of meanings and well-composed,” the Leader said in a meeting with the organizers of an event held last year to honor to Moshfeq Kashani.

 

Many Moshfeq Kashani’s works were performed by singers, including Hesameddin Seraj, Abdolhossein Mokhtabad, Bahram Hasiri and Mohammad Esfahani.

 

His death came as a shock to Iranian poets and literati.

 

“I heard, but could not believe, the news of the death of my dear lifelong friend, Moshfeq Kashani, who was the honor of Persian literature and poetry,” poet Hamid Sabzevari said in a message of condolences published by some Persian news websites on Monday.

 

“His death was really devastating for me,” he added.

 

Poet Saed Baqeri called Moshfeq Kashani the spiritual father of all the Iranian poets who were born after him.

 

“In my opinion, he was a master of Persian ode and love,” he stated.

 

Poet Ali Musavi Garmarudi said, “In his nineties, Moshfeq Kashani composed odes in which young blood flows.” 

 

Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Academy of Persian Language and Literature Director Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani, and Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Seyyed Abbas Salehi also sent messages of condolence.

 

His funeral procession will begin in front of the Iranian Poets’ Society today.

 

MMS/YAW

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