Karestan Documentary Film Series made in Iran, are based on lives and works of people whose outlook on life is to build a better world. Women and men whose life stories can provide inspiration, beyond geographical and cultural boundaries, for anyone in the world. The diversity of these personalities due to gender, type of activity and various places of abode, provides a fascinating rainbow of Iranian society that perhaps has not been seen till now, not just in international societies but also in Iran. Praiseworthy people who, without any government connections, have managed to be influential in improving the conditions of their society.
The production of these films became possible with a research fund devoted by a non-government organization called “the Entrepreneurship Development Foundation for Women and Youth”. In order to create absorbing and compelling films, the documentary films have been directed by some of the best known and most professional documentary makers in Iran.
Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Iranian fillmmaker and one of the producers of the series says: “A few years back, we got together with several independent filmmakers in Iran. Together we could turn our common concerns into enduring works in the documentary cinema. We focused on a few personalities in Iranian community who, though largely unknown, had managed to accomplish great achievements in different fields with creativity and admirable perseverance. With this aim, after 4 years of endeavor, we have managed to complete six documentary films titled Karestan Documentary Film Series”
To introduce Karestan documentary series we will have a few video interview with film directors and producers involved. Our first interview is with director of Poet of Life, Shirin Barghnavard that her film is about the Iranian entrepreneur, Shirin Parsi.
All photos in the interview and article by Peyman Hooshmandzadeh