Persian Realm

Interviewed in a luxurious setting of a British mansion ( his Home ?), Filmmaker Ebrahim Golestan confesses that watching the Shah's Coronation on TV back in 1967 made him to literally "Vomit". Well I guess his own brother Shahrokh is to blame for he was in charge of filming it as well as the Persepolis celebrations of October 1971 honoring 25 centuries of Iranian Monarchy.

I really don't know how to qualify this interview ? ...

Personally I got a similar Nausea listening to some of Golestan's responses ( ranging from belittiling the Shahnameh to defending Ahmadinejad's Nucleare Stance ) as he did watching his brother's film on the Shah's Coronation ...

Golestan is certainly a man of quality ( His son Kaveh was killed while filming the War in IRaq during the American led invasion) as much as the journalist Massoud Behnoud ( albeit quite Pro - Reform and Opposed to Regime Change) and a great filmmaker in his time but I cannot help but feel that this interview is nothing but that of a sycophantic journalist towards a Namak Nashnas, self indulgent, self pompous , and totally embittered man that makes me want to call back the Character Otto ( Kevin Kline) from the movie A Fish Called Wanda to the Rescue and demand his unreserved apology ...

I'd like to think that one should only have to blame some of Golestan's arrogant comments on his old age than anything else ...

I guess ageing doesn't make one wiser for that matter ... Even for a Gauche Caviar Intellectual enjoying the comfortable and luxurious settings of an English Mansion he calls home ...

You be the Judge ... 

Recommended Reading:

Ebrahim Golestan-Treasure of Pre-Revolutionary Iranian Cinema by Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa

Recommended Watchings:

NAMAK-NASHNAS NOT: Jamshid (Jimmy) Delshad Greets Shahbanou Farah

Eminent Persians: the Men and Women Who Made Modern Iran, 1941-1979  a Conference by Abbas Milani Library of Congress

Ebrahim Golestan interviewed by Massoud Behnoud (BBC Persian) 

Part I:

Part II:

Fereydoun Farrokhzad ( brother of Forough) speaks about an Artists Intellectual Responsability and his Political activism:

Fereydoun Farrokhzad - Irani Boodan:

Shah and Shahbanou of Iran's coronation ( Photo Tribute):

Ebrahim Golestan Bio:

Ebrahim Golestan has been a pioneer in filmmaking and literature for more than half a century, with far-reaching influence on generations of Iranians in various fields of art. He has lived in Sussex, United Kingdom, since 1975. He is the father of Iranian photojournalist Kaveh Golestan, and Lili Golestan,translator and owner and artistic director of the Golestan Gallery in Tehran, Iran. His grandson, Mani Haghighi, is also a film director. His younger brother is filmmaker/Journalist Shahrokh Golestan who was in charge of filmming the Coronation Ceremonies of 1967 as well as the Persepolis Celebrations of 1971. 

Filmography:

Yek atash (1961)

Moj, marjan, khara (1962)

Khesht va Ayeneh (1965, aka Brick and Mirror)

Asrar ganj dareheye jenni (1974, aka The Ghost Valley's Treasure Mysteries)

Massoud Behnoud Bio: 

Massoud Behnoud, is a prominent Iranian journalist, historian and writer, was born on July 27, 1947 in Tehran. He started his work as a journalist in 1964. During his long career he worked as an investigating journalist for different newspapers. He founded more than 20 newspapers and magazines, none of them are currently in publication.

Masoud Behnoud currently lives in the UK working as a freelance journalist for a number of media organisations, mainly BBC Persian Service, for which he has worked for the past fourteen years. His debut in the west was the launch of ‘Khanoum’, by Pegasus Elliott McKenzie in November 2008. More Here

He has an English Weblog Here

Related Blogs:

EMINENT PERSIANS:Lily AmirArjomand Managing Director of Kanoon (Andisheh TV)

EMINENT PERSIANS: Abbas Veteran Photographer for MAGNUM (Interview June 2009)

EMINENT PERSIANS: Arash Derambarsh Future French President?

EMINENT PERSIANS: Henry Dallal Official photographer of Queen Elizabeth II

EMINENT PERSIANS: Music Conductor Alexander (Ali) Rahbari 

EMINENT PERSIANS: Poetess Parvin E'tesami Greets Iran's Crown Prince at Library (1940's)

Eminent Persians: Mahnaz Afkhami International Women's Conference in Mexico City (1975)

EMINENT PERSIANS: Sahab Ekhtiar Qajar Minister and Constitutionalist