SUNDAY MARCH 2, 2008, at 6:30 PM

SPECIAL PROGRAM:
IN MEMORIAM OF FOROUGH FARROKHZAD

FILM SOCIETY CELEBRATES
THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
AN EVENING OF SONGS, MUSIC, POETRY,
PAINTING, FACT, FICTION, AND FILM

Click Here To Read Persian Text

Pari Amini will exhibit two of her portraits of her International Collection (including Frough Farrokhzad, and Rumi) featuring her delicate and intricate form of painting that utilizes delicate shadings and variations to expertly capture the fundamental qualities of her subjects, as well as oil-painting.

Sohrab Andisheh will recite and reflect on Forough Farokhzad and Rumi’s poetry and will perform Rumi's spiritual dancing.
Fire, the remarkable magic of Forough Farokhzad film editing will be screened for the first time in L. A.
Mona Mahani will perform stand-up comedy.
Hamid Najafi: will perform new songs from his new album.
Tina Petrrova’s fascinating film: Rumi: Turning Ecstatic will be screened.
Eslam Anthony Shams will perform stand-up comedy. Sholeh Wolpé, poet and literary translator. will recite a poem from Sin-Selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad.

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Rumi: Turning Ecstatic

a film by: Tina Petrova

"Life Affirming.." San Francisco Chronicle
"Best of Indie Films- 2007/ 2208 " Buyndies.com

Film Synopsis

Mevlana Jelalludin Rumi was a 13th C. Mystic and Poet. ' Rumi was born into the Persian Empire, in what is now Balkh Afghanistan." and lived out his life in Konya Turkey. His two signature literary works "The Mathnawi" and the "Divani Shams i Tabriz" are considered second only in importance to the Koran in the Middle East.

In the West, he has outsold Shakespeare in the English language for 2 decades, becoming the best loved poet in America today.

Canadian filmmaker Tina Petrova shares her extraordinary encounter with Rumi ( a true story) as she leads us on a road trip of discovery across America to the shifting sands of the Middle East - seeking out scholars who animate his works in the world today. Featured are: UN award winning architect Nader Khalili, who builds emergency shelters in the Mohave Desert , the worlds most popular translator of Rumi - Coleman Barks , activist and author Andrew Harvey , the hypnotic spin of the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey and Shaikh Kabir Helminski , who heads up Rumi’s spiritual order today.

To both the initiated and uninititated alike, Rumi -Turning Ecstatic propels the viewer deep into the heart of Sufi mysticism, with thought provoking and informative interviews, stunning stock footage from around the globe and a haunting soundtrack of ecstatic Sufi Music.

There are numerous readings of Rumi’s poetry throughout and a historical background of his life is given. Strong Interfaith elements make it suitable for discussion. ( It is currently being used as a teaching tool for selected Toronto High Schools.)

Middle Eastern studies and World Literature

Official Selection: Santa Cruz Film Festival 2006
Cinema of the Spirit, New York
San Francisco Chronicle: 4 Star Review- 2006.
The United Nations Screening, NYC.
Cinema Felestin , Intl . Documentary film festival, Iran
Mumbai Performing Arts Center, India, ( etc. )

Click Here To See Rumi's Trailer

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Tina Petrova: Producer, Writer, Director:

Tina has been part of the Canadian film, television and stage scene for over 20 years, as an award winning actress, a writer, producer and director.

She first studied theatre and dance at Ryerson University, later returning to study film in the mid 1990's. Her film debut “The Lost Years” garnered nationwide interest after being honoured by the Golden Sheaf Awards. It was produced with the assistance of the National Film Board of Canada. She is an alumni of the Canadian Film Centre, founded by Norman Jewison.

Film critics have dubbed Tina a "driving force" and "visionary," creating works of "faith and healing." Her primary passion over the years has being jumping feet first into projects of a social justice nature, including "Secret Survivors," and "Employment Equity- the Challenge."

CBC Radio is the exclusive distributor of her radio documentary -" Rumi, spoken by Coleman Barks.

Tina's current projects include a new film entitled "The Golden Rule" which will be released Spring 2008 , following a good will ambassador tour with the Rumi film across America , and publishing her first book " In Search of Rumi..."

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FIRE

a film

edited by: FOROUGH FARROKHZAD

Photographed y: SHAHROKH GOLESTAN

produced by: EBRAHIM GOLESTAN

In the Spring of 1958, an oil well was being drilled at a place near Ahwaz in Iran.

The drilling bit had passed through the gas-filled layers and was penetrating the oil-bearing rocks....

This facinating documentary portrays seventy days of workers' struggle to put the fire out and Forough Farrokhzad"s remarkable majic of film editing.

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Pari Amini is a traditional Persian painter, painting both watercolor and oil. Her interest in studying fine art and the decorative/domestic arts spans over half a century. Amini holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art from Honarhayeh Ziba and has pursued private art studies with professors Poursafah, Bahadori and Shayesteh. Whilst in Iran, Amini had yearly exhibits at Pahlavi University attended by the general public, as well as the Iranian royal family and other heads of state.
After immigrating to the United States, she joined several art groups including the American Institute of Fine Arts, Artists of the Southwest and Wilshire Ebell Club. In 1987 she had an exhibit at the Beverly Hills Hotel where she gave a demonstration of pointillism, a delicate and intricate form of painting-using tiny dots of color. Pointillism is the genre featured in her current series of watercolor portraits of, Women Who Make a Difference.
She continues to paint and exhibit her works annually at the Hollywood Woman’s Club (winning 11 first place awards) and the Wilshire Ebell Club. In 2000, she became a fellow of the Institute of Fine Arts. In the past 2 years, Amini, has been honored with the Peter the Great Honorary Medal, Chilingar Medal, and recently received the White Elephant Award and Royal Thai Pouch Medal from the King and Queen of Thailand.
Pari Amini will exhibit five portraits of her International Women Collection featuring her delicate and intricate form of painting that utilizes delicate shadings and variations to expertly capture the fundamental qualities of her subjects.

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Sohrab Andisheh has studied Philosophy and broadcasting in Iran and the USA. Andisheh is familiar with International and Persian music, culture and literature. Andisheh has composed many songs, based on Persian classical and modern poetry like Rumi "mowlavi", Ferdousi, Nezami, hafez and etc. He has also composed the music and performed some of Forough Farrokhzad's and Fereydoon Moshiri's poems which are included in CDs called "The Wing of Rumi and "Hezar-afshan"along with Nooshin-Dokht and the late Davood Ramzi.

Sohrab Andisheh has researched the life and poetry of Rumi and Shams-tabrizi for a long time. He has thought and performed "Sema spiritual dance" or whirling Dervish dance.

Sohraba Andisheh is hosting a variety TV show in Los Angeles, called "SOROODE ZOHREH" on AFN TV or Tasvire Iran TV. every Sunday 11/10 am. which re-runs Sundays 12 midnight and every Wednesday 10/30 pm.

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Suzi khatami was born in Shiraz and raised in Tehran.She left Iran after finishing High School in 1977 at age 16. She then moved to London England and entered the School of Nursing where she received the Nursing degree

Suzi Khatami then moved to Los Angeles and has been here since 1985. Out of all these years Suzi also moved and lived in New York from 1987 to 1993. Her career in entertainment and media world started in 1999 where she produced and hosted her first live talk show on local cable TV which became very successful over night. Soon after her work on TV , she joined the 670am KIRN Radio Iran by producing and hosting an entertainment Show called "live from Hollywood". She was also asked to do a morning talk show for a while at the same station. She has been a host for an entertainment show on an Iranian television show from 2002 to 2005. In 2004 she started another show called "Javanan ba 670" that became a hit since its start.
Her passion for the Iranian youth is what makes her show popular amongst almost all Iranian American youth. Her ever so understanding and passion and caring comes from the fact the she has a son whom she adores and loves dearly.
Suzi is also an active board member of the Iranian American Parents Association (IAPA) of Beverly Hills since 1994. She has also been helping the Iranian student groups and continues to support their activities. Recently, she became a board member for an Iranian student media network at UCLA. Suzi is also one of the advisers for another Iranian student association union in north America. Suzi has been working with several non profit organizations and acting as their master of ceremonies. Iranian youth of Orange County, hurricane Catrina and Iranian recovery center are to name a few.
Suzi lives currently with her teenage son in Los Angeles.

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Mona Mahani was born in August of 1984 in Arlington, Texas. She has been doing stand-up comedy for 7 years, and performed at various local venues in the Dallas, TX area. Mona has also been acting in theater and various films and commercials for 13 years. She also received critical acclaim within the global Persian community for her short film entitled "Khatereh Yazdenshenas: A Persian Singing Legend."
Mona would like to thank Eslam Anthony Shams for his kindness and support, as well as her family and friends for their continued support and blessings.

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Hamid Nadjafi is a professional musician whose passion for his craft has sustained him through difficult personal circumstances and trying times. Hamid was 15 years old when he began studying music in Tehran, the capital city of his native country Iran.

Hamid’s talent, society and eagerness to excel led to his acceptance by Tehran's children-and-youth in 971. This was the start of his professional career, seven years later; he started his own music school in Tehran.

In 1984, Hamid left his home and traveled to Hamburg, Germany to continue his musical studies. At the music conservatory in Hamburg, he qualified in musical education and orchestration.

From 1986 to 1993, Hamid also worked as a music lecturer in the cities of Hamburg, Hannover, Gottingen, Aachen and Dusseldorf.

Additionally, Hamid has written many books based on his years of musical experience. It is his sincere hope that his experiences will be a source of encouragement and motivation to all those who love music.

To read more, visit: www.melodymsc.com

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After moving to U. S. A. at the tender age of 18, Iranian born Eslam Shams set his sights on chasing his own dreams instead of his father’s and became an actor / Comic. Behind his stand up comedy act, lies an under appreciated actor striving to perform thought provoking shows that minimize the cultural and lingual gap between the parents and their kids. Eslam strongly believes, "Laughter is essential to maintain your youth. You can't stop laughing because you got older. You got old because you stopped laughing." Currently performing his one man play "Kotak Moment", the TV/ Movie/ Stage actor, Eslam Shams captivates his audience with improvisational and acting skills, endless energy and physical comedy.

As an actor Eslam has appeared in the 2006 Academy Award winning short film WEST BANK STORY and a chilling movie about Iran named ROYA.

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Sholeh Wolpé will recite a poem from Sin-Selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad

Farzaneh Milani says of this book:

Sholeh Wolpé's selection of poems and the lush lucidity of her translation convey the quickly evolving and the richly paradoxical nature of Farrokhzad's poetry. It is a welcome addition to the slim body of literary translations available in the U.S."

Farzaneh Milani
Director of Studies in Women and Gender and Professor of Persian and Women
Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and author of
"Veils and Words: The Emerging Voice of Iranian Women Writers"

Nasrin Rahimieh says:

Sholeh Wolpé's exquisite poetic voice and her superb command of the art of translation meld together in translations that exude the passion, defiance, and crackling wit that mark Forugh Farrokhzad's poetry. Capturing her alternating mood, cascading images, and rippling emotions, Wolpé's translations make Farrokhzad's poetry burst into life in English. Wolpé is the best imaginable guide to this gifted Iranian woman'spoetic universe.

Nasrin Rahimieh
Director of Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies at UCI, and
author of "Missing Persons: Discovering Voices Iranian Cultural History"

Sholeh Wolpé is the author of Sin-Selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad (University of Arkansas Press), Rooftops of Tehran (Red Hen Press), <http://www.redhen.org/scarsaloon.htm> The Scar Saloon (Red Hen Press), Shame (a play in three acts) and a poetry/music CD (Refuge Studios). She is the associate editor of The Norton Anthology of Modern Literature from the Muslim World (Norton, 2009) and the guest editor of Atlanta Review (2010 Iran issue). Her poems, translations, essays and reviews have appeared in scores of literary journals, periodicals and anthologies worldwide, and have been translated into several languages. Sholeh was born in Iran but spent most of her teen years in the Caribbean and Europe, ending up in the U.S. where she pursued Masters degrees in Radio-TV-Film (Northwestern University) and Public Health (Johns Hopkins University). She lives in Los Angeles. For more information please visit: www.sholehwolpe.com

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