Author: Bijan Tehrani

From Hitler to the Commanders of Apocalypse If one day a major film is made about the war that was waged against Iran, it would not be surprising if cinema once again followed a pattern that has appeared repeatedly in twentieth-century war films: the transformation of war-seeking leaders into the devilish figures of the narrative. In such a film, some of the political leaders who decided to initiate that war would likely be portrayed as characters issuing orders for attack from a safe distance, while the real victims of those decisions were ordinary people and civilians. In a cinematic narrative…

In times of political tension, governments have often relied on a familiar tactic: framing a people or an entire nation as the enemy in order to mobilize fear and resentment among the public. This mechanism of creating a threatening “other” is not new. It has appeared repeatedly throughout modern history, and cultural narratives—including cinema—have sometimes played a role in reinforcing such perceptions. The early mythology of the American West, as portrayed in Hollywood films, offers a revealing example of how images and stories can shape attitudes toward entire communities. In the history of American cinema, few names are as closely…

Some films remain films. Others become something else entirely. They become mirrors in which we see not only the past but also the painful truths of the present. Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women is one of those rare films. It was made in 1960, in the aftermath of the Second World War, yet each time I watch it I feel as though it speaks directly to the world we are living in today. The film may belong to another era, but the human suffering it depicts is timeless. The story itself is simple: Cesira, a widowed mother, flees Rome with…

These days, from thousands of miles away in the United States, as I follow the news and images of the devastation of my homeland, Iran, words have taken on a different taste for me. For years I have been a film critic; I have made films; I have written with passion and conviction about aesthetics, mise-en-scène, narrative, rhythm, light, and silence. Cinema was a home for me, a place where I sought refuge. But today, when I hear the news of children in my country being killed, when I read that a school has been targeted or that a house…

An Exclusive, Insightful Conversation with Shahab Hosseini My first encounter with Shahab Hosseini dates back to February four years ago, at the home of my dear friend Shirin Jahed, one of Iran’s most accomplished television directors—an artist to whom many well-known figures in Iranian cinema and media owe a great deal for her talent, mentorship, and refined taste. Thanks to Ms. Jahed’s thoughtfulness, we celebrated Shahab Hosseini’s birthday—along with that of my close friend and companion Abbas Yari and myself, all born in the month of Bahman—with a cake and a handful of candles. From that very first meeting, I…

Vertigo Doctors say the cause of my vertigo is a disorder of the inner ear. But I know perfectly well that the real culprits are Hitchcock, Parviz Davayi(1), Sepid o Siah magazine(2), and Kim Novak’s beautiful shoulders. They are the reasons I have watched Vertigo two hundred and sixty-five times. Hitchcock, with the magic of his images; Parviz Davayi, with that enchanted, romantic series of essays he wrote about the film; Sepid o Siah, the weekly everyone read from back to front, whose final word always belonged to Davayi; and Kim Novak, whose shoulders were signs of a kind of…

The late Bahram Beyzaie is a part of all of us. We have lived with his stories, plays, and films—from Uncle Moustache (Amu Sabilo) to When We Are All Asleep (Vaghti Hame Khabim). For any filmmaker anywhere in this galaxy, a single masterpiece like Bashu, the Little Stranger (Bashu, Gharibeh-ye Koochak) would be enough to take pride in a lifetime of cinema. In that film, Beyzaie—much like Hafez, whose enduring ghazals contain the full imprint of their age—created a timeless work about all the wars of the world: a film that recounts the anguish of displacement and celebrates the grandeur…

Ardeshir Farah’s music has always felt to me like a lived truth rather than a manufactured fusion. When we talk about artists who genuinely embody more than one culture, Farah stands among the rare few whose sound is not the result of strategy or trend, but of biography, memory, and instinct. His guitar speaks a language shaped by deep Iranian roots, years of displacement, and an intimate, organic dialogue with Latin music that never feels borrowed or superficial. Born in Tehran, Farah’s earliest relationship with music was formed in an environment where melody carried weight and dignity. Iranian musical culture,…

Most film critics keep a “sacred list” of their favorite filmmakers and films — a small circle that rarely changes. These lists usually include the same handful of names, and newcomers are seldom welcomed into this elite group. Yet, every once in a while, a film or filmmaker emerges with such undeniable power and charm that it breaks through the rigid walls of cinematic tradition and earns a place among the untouchables. When I first saw The Follies, it immediately took hold of me — it was love at first sight. Also, I’ve never liked the cliché of calling Rodrigo…

Last week, Sandra Lipski is the founder and director of the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, announced the winner of Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging the Borders Award at the closing ceremony of 14th Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. Sandra Lipski read CWB’s jury statement in fron of over 600 people at the Mallorca’s Opera house: “The jury of the Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging the Borders Award is proud to present this year’s award to Majini, directed by Joshua Neubert and Victor Muhagachi from Germany. Majini tells the moving story of a young boy who cannot swim but must brave the sea alongside his brother when their father falls…