A man of culture, Vazrik Der-sahakian

Vazrik Der-sahakian, a devoted Iranian cinephile, is one of the dedicated and accomplished contributors of our time. He has translated numerous significant books on cinema and contemporary world literature into Persian.

Vazrik Der-sahakian was born in 1948 in Tehran and spent his childhood and teenage years in southern Khuzestan, in the port city of Ma’shour (Mahshahr), until 1966, when he and his family moved back to Tehran. He obtained his high school diploma in Tehran and then completed his military service. Afterward, he attended the Cinema and Television College, completing a two-year program.

He then joined the team of assistants working under the late Mehrdad Fakhimi, one of Iran’s greatest cinematographers, and contributed to several television series, serving as the second cinematographer for the show Hami and Kami. However, in 1977, with the downturn of the film industry, he took up full-time employment at Tamasha magazine. During those years, he dedicated himself to translating film-related articles from English-language magazines, and eventually, a few of his translations were published in Iranian film magazines.

After the Iranian Revolution, he officially began translating books on cinema and other subjects, successfully publishing 16 translated titles over the next eight years. Following his immigration to the United States in late 1986, he took a break from translation for some time. However, by the mid-2000s, he re-established connections with Iranian publishers and managed to publish several new translations in Iran.

The Following is My Conversation with Mr. Der-sahakian Regarding His Work in Translation:
Bijan Tehrani: When did you start translating cinema-related books into Persian, and what inspired you to do so?
Vazrik Der-sahakian: My early attempts at translation began in the early 1970s. I would read articles or interviews from English-language film magazines, and because I didn’t fully understand them, I would use a dictionary to try and translate them—primarily to grasp their meaning, not with any intention of publishing them.

I continued this practice alongside my studies at the Cinema and Television College and later during my work-related travels as a cinematographer. By 1975 or 1976, a couple of my translations turned out well enough that I sent them to a magazine, and they got published. This encouraged me to take translation more seriously.

By late 1977, as pre-revolution demonstrations were beginning, film production had slowed significantly, and since I wasn’t employed by national television, I turned to Tamasha magazine and started translating film-related content full-time. This decision marked my permanent entry into the world of translation, and soon I was contributing to other publications as well.

One of my earliest book translations, The War Trilogy (three screenplays by Roberto Rossellini—Rome, Open City; Paisan; and Germany, Year Zero), was completed even before I joined Tamasha. I had submitted it to Niavaran Cultural Center, which was just beginning its operations at the time. Many prominent figures from publishing, film, poetry, and theater were involved in this institution, which, had it continued on its original path, could have significantly enriched Iran’s cultural landscape alongside The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. It still exists today, but I’m unaware of its current activities.

BT: How Do You Choose Books for Translation?
VD: The books I select for translation are purely based on my personal preferences. I have rarely translated a book at the request of a publisher, especially now that I live far from Iran and lack direct communication with publishers.

If I come across a book on cinema, literature, theater, or history that I believe would interest Iranian readers, I begin the translation process and then reach out to a publisher in Iran. If an agreement is reached, I submit the translation for publication. That’s the process.

BT: How Have Your Translations Been Received in Iran and Abroad?
VD: As far as I know, the current state of book publishing and sales in Iran is quite difficult—akin to the Persian expression “Moon in Scorpio” (indicating tough times). The financial situation of the public is such that buying books is not a priority, so in a way, what we do feels like “doing a good deed and throwing it into the Tigris”—in the hope that someday the situation will improve, and these books will find their place on readers’ shelves.

The only book I know that has been reprinted multiple times over the past forty years is The Technique of Film Editing (published by Soroush), which has now reached its 13th edition, though with limited print runs.

BT: Do You Have Any Books Currently in Translation or Pending Publication?
VD: I have a few works that are either in the translation process, under review, or being edited. I have also reached agreements with a couple of publishers, but I have yet to start working on those translations. I’ll share more details when they are finalized

BT: Which of Your Translated Books Have Been Published So Far?
VD: Here is the list

1. The War Trilogy – Three Screenplays by Roberto Rossellini (Rome, Open City; Paisan; Germany, Year Zero)
2. Zapata: Ideology of a Revolutionary Peasant – Robert Millon
3. – MY DISCOVERY OF AMERICA – Vladimir Mayakovsky
4. MOTION PICTURE CAMERA AND LIGHTING EQUIPMENT– David Samuelson
5. STUDIES IN DOCUMENTARY – Jim Hillier & Alan Lovell
6. The Informer – Liam O’Flaherty
7. Distant Thunder: The Life and Films of Satyajit Ray
8. Glossary of Technical Terms in Cinema and Television (English-Persian) – (co-translated with Hassan Emtiazi, Mehdi Rahimian, Masoud Madani, and Hamid Hodaniya)
9. The Oppressed and the Oppressors – Antonio Gramsci
10. War and Revolution – Lenin
11. Photographers and Photography
12. History of Cinema – Eric Rhode
13. Factotum – Charles Bukowski (published in Sweden)
14. The God of Hell – Sam Shepard
15. My First Movie – Stephen Lowenstein
16. Conversations with Writers – (a selection of translated articles and interviews from various sources)
17. General della Rovere – Indro Montanelli
18. The Flies – Mariano Azuela
19. Midnight Ballads – Poems by Charles Bukowski (published in Sweden)
20. Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes – Rodrigo García

VD: New Editions of my translations:

• • History of Cinema (Eric Rhode) – Published by Gilgamesh
  • Zapata: Ideology of a Revolutionary Peasant (Published by Adeh)
  • The Informer (Published by Adeh)
• My First Movie was supposed to have a second volume, but Hermes Publishing canceled the project after a management shift and did not reprint Volume 1 despite it being out of stock.
• Conversations with Writers (published by Morvarid) remains in limbo and may never reach a second edition due to editorial disputes.
• The Flies was originally published by Nashr-e No in the 1980s, and a new edition was released a few years ago.
• The God of Hell has recently reached its fourth edition.