Long Live Iran
Fakhereh Saba and Me
Meetings with Iran's first female opera composer and co-founder of the University of Kerman, and an account of the silence and oblivion that followed her death and her husband's.
Nov 84 min
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Journal
Thoughts, reflections, and stories from the writing life. A glimpse into the creative process and the world that inspires my work.
Long Live Iran
Arfa Otraii, Iran's First Female Santur Player
Arfa Otraii: from a childhood on the margins to studying with Khaleghi and Saba, and being the only woman in the orchestra.
Nov 65 min
Long Live Iran
Jalil Ziapour (Father of Modern Painting) in My View
Meeting Jalil Ziapour, from a childhood by the Anzali lagoon to a movement for modern Iranian art.
Nov 65 min
Long Live Iran
Baghe Ferdows with Mrs. Ashraf Bahadarzadeh
A memory of first meeting the founder of the Kahrizak Charity for the Elderly and Disabled, and the day I went with her to the nursing home.
Nov 65 min
Personal
A Man of the Heart
The memory of a heart awakening on a spring morning, beside a pine tree in a schoolyard.
Nov 63 min
Interview
Dr. Mehrangiz Manouchehrian and Me
Memories of my visits with Iran's first woman senator and fighter for the rights of women and children.
Nov 66 min
Long Live Iran
Master Ali Tajvidi Was Not Alone
Memories of my visits with Master Ali Tajvidi and the hidden role of his wife, Mrs. Shokat.
Nov 67 min
Long Live Iran
Shahin Farhat and Me
My first meeting with Shahin Farhat, composer and music professor, at his home in Niavaran.
Nov 63 min
Long Live Iran
Mohammad Bahrami, as I Knew Him
A memory of visiting Mohammad Bahrami, founder of modern Iranian graphic design, in his garden at Darakeh.
Nov 55 min
Writing
The Black Swan
Summary of Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book The Black Swan on impossible surprises and risk management.
Nov 54 min
Writing
Lost Connections: Why Are We Depressed?
Summary of Johann Hari's book Lost Connections on the roots of depression and anxiety.
Nov 55 min
Writing
Who Lights the Artist's Fire?
Notes from a research project: do not pass by works of art lightly, for a soul lies hidden behind them.
Nov 54 min
Writing
Summary of "The Road to Character"
A summary of David Brooks' book on the gap between résumé virtues and eulogy virtues, and how fame rose from the bottom to the top of what young people want.
Nov 53 min
Writing
Summary of "The Big Ratchet"
A summary of Ruth DeFries' book on how food reshaped the course of human civilization.
Nov 54 min
Long Live Iran
Khatereh Parvaneh Through My Eyes
A memory of interviewing Khatereh Parvaneh, singer and master of the radif, and her most passionate concert at Alzahra University.
Nov 54 min
Personal
A Memory of Bahman Mohassess
A teenage encounter with Bahman Mohassess in Rasht, and memories of "Khorous Jangi" and "Pay-e Khorous".
Nov 53 min
Long Live Iran
Professor Mohammad Hossein Ganji and I
A memory of the father of Iranian geography, a man whose heart was attached to the soil of Iran.
Nov 54 min
Personal
Irene, As I Saw Her
A memory of Irene, a beautiful actress who, though alone and ill, never withheld her kindness.
Nov 54 min
Personal
Nima Petgar and I
The story of Mr. Nima Petgar's painting atelier, a plastic skull and a piece of bubble gum.
Nov 53 min
Personal
A Memory from the Kahrizak Charity for the Elderly
Challenges that set logic against feeling: a memory of a Thursday morning at the Kahrizak nursing home.
Nov 54 min
Adult Fiction
Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi
A retelling of the life of Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi, from his childhood in Tus to the Maragheh observatory and the Mongol invasion.
Nov 520 min
Personal
A Childhood Memory
Issa Sadiq’s childhood memory of the year-end exam at Tehran’s Adab School, and the encouragement that shaped his life.
Nov 54 min
Personal
A Bouquet of Flowers
A schoolgirl sent to the airport to present flowers to Shiraz’s guests, and a childhood rivalry that turned into friendship.
Nov 56 min
Personal
Memoirs of Dr. Nosratollah Bastan: The Maktab and the Shows of Hassanabad Cemetery
From old Tehran and Mirza Ali Akbar’s school with its falak, to the dervishes, snake charmers and tricksters of Thursday afternoons in Hassanabad cemetery.
Nov 512 min
Inspiration
My Beloved Who Never Went to School or Wrote a Line: Banoo Makrameh
A painter who, at seventy, unable to read or write, painted on her walls with pomegranate peel and became known across the world.
Nov 54 min
Personal
The Honest Shepherd
In a meadow near Taleghan, I promised a shepherd woman a printed photo. I forgot, and now I am ashamed.
Nov 55 min
Personal
Alain Delon / A Few Steps
In second grade, my aunt took me to the cinema instead of school: a sweet day in Shiraz full of small lies, faloodeh and Alain Delon.
Nov 55 min
The Stories Behind My Books
How I Wrote "The Mir Station"
From a radio news report to four years of writing: how "The Mir Station", the story of five teenagers from five countries sending a message from space to save Earth, came to be.
Nov 33 min
Writing
Coexistence, Tolerance and Religious Diversity in Iranian Thought
Part one: a look at tolerance of religious difference in ancient Iran, from the Achaemenids to the Sasanians, drawing on the Bible, the Behistun inscription and the history of Manichaeism.
Oct 2410 min
Writing
A Peace to End All Peace
A summary of David Fromkin's book on the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire and the partition of the Middle East in the First World War.
Oct 245 min
Writing
Iran: A Short-Term Society
A summary of Homa Katouzian's book "Iran: A Short-Term Society": why do fundamental changes in Iran not last?
Oct 247 min
Long Live Iran
Poem of the Homeland
A Persian poem in praise of the homeland, its history, poets and people.
Oct 245 min
Travel
Journeys in Malaysia
One of the most memorable and beautiful events of my life: from Kuala Lumpur to Cherating's fireflies, Redang's coral reefs, Penang and Langkawi.
Oct 2114 min
Personal
Our Love Has Arrived, Graced with Natural Charm
It was a night to remember, in the humble parking lot of an apartment complex in Gheytarieh—a night without headlines, lights, or grandeur. Yet the magical voice of Hengameh Akhavan, echoed by women who had left behind the duties of home and work, filled the air with a beauty stronger than any concert hall. Her simple blouse, now marked with the colors of lipstick and kohl, remained as a living testament—the signature of love and passion that springs only from the hearts of this land’s women.
Sep 256 min