SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2009, 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

Celebrating the International Women's Day, Susan Khatami, Radio program Producer and Program MC, Presents: Pari Amini, painter, Simin Behbahani, poet and writer, Pari Esfandiari, founder and editor of IranDokht, Forough Farrokhzad: poet, filmmaker, Mozdeh Habibi, painter, poet and TV announcer, Kiana Hashemi, filmmaker and film editor, Soheila Kian, UCI professor, Hamid Najafi: singer, guitarist and composer, Mitra Rahbar, singer and actor, Fariba Rofougaran, writer and translator, Farbod Sajadi, painter.

SIMIN BEHBAHANI: LOVE AT EIGHTY

Two rough cut excerpts from an unfinished film:

1- Simin Behbahani talks about women in Iran and the Feminist Movement

2- Simin Behbahani talks about Frough Farokhzad, her poetry and her death

THE HOUSE IS BLACK

A Film by:

Forough Farrokhzad

Half a century ago, Forough Farrokhzad, the most daring, revolutionary and the greatest Iranian woman-modernist poet, made a landmark documentary film. Symbolically, she called it The House Is Black. Many decades later, it is still relevant, beautiful, and intensely moving.

Ironically, not only The House is still Black, furthermore, Farrokhzad brings back to life the injustices to the people of a society long oppressed by its own as well as Western governments.

Farrokhzad stunned everyone by the only film she made during her short but productive life, and like her poetry, it stretches the boundaries of hope, love, freedom and humanity.

Farrokhzad, as a poet, also fought for women rights at a time when all odds were against her, and long before the feminist movement came along.

This program is dedicated to her memory. She lives in our hearts, and remains with us through
the brilliance of her works.

Hassan Fayyad

For Persian Article Click Here

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Dr. Pari Esfandiari is a social entrepreneur and internet pioneer. She founded IranDokht in 2002 as the first online media platform designed to connect the global community to Iranian women. It is a powerful and insuppressible medium that reflects the diverse lifestyles, complex perspectives, experiences and accomplishments of women of Iran.

Pari's commentaries and articles have won her international acclaim as a leading authority on Iranian popular culture. Her articles and interviews have appeared in numerous media outlets. Her work has been showcased by UNESCO and New America Media. She is a frequent speaker at universities, women's organizations, and other forums.

Her current focus is on the role of the media and women in preventing war.

Pari left Iran after finishing her degree in architecture. She has a doctorate from Oxford Brookes University in sustainable business, and is an avid environmentalist.

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Mojdeh Habibi is a television and radio news anchor, host, producer, scriptwriter, artist and poet. She was born in Tehran in an educated family with a passion for literature and poetry. Her parents were both teachers and her father was also a journalist.

As of early childhood, Mojdeh was greatly interested in painting and received tremendous support from her mother who was also a painter. After completing high school, Mojdeh chose to study drawing in the University of Art and Architecture in Tehran.

After immigrating to the U.S. and residing in Southern California in 1999, she started to work at the popular Iranian radio station KIRN 670 A.M. as a news anchor, and scriptwriter for the nightly literary program called SHABANGAHAN (night time), ASHEGHANEH (lovingly) and HEZARO-YEK-SHAB (1001 nights) in Los Angeles. Following in the year 2000, she co-reported with Noreddin Sabet Imani, the king of the Iranian news who worked in N.I.T.V., the 24 hour National Iranian television, a globally broadcasted program from Los Angeles with special targeted audience in Iran.

Mojdeh Habibi’s cultivated tone of voice, her coherent dialogue and lucid style of news, combined with her superb penmanship for writing literary program soon positioned her as one of the most admired broadcast anchors viewed by millions of Iranians in around the world.

Professionals in the television production industry suggest that Mojdeh’s tone of voice and her exceptional performing skills are a reminder of the very well distinguished and celebrated prominent female anchors during the decades prior to the revolutions in Iran, such as Fakhri Nikzad, Azar Pajohesh and Rooshanak.

Mojdeh continues with her cultural study of contemporary and classic writers, poets, and artists in Iran. She has worked hard during her stay in foreign countries to introduce the extraordinary talent and work of these great individuals who have contributed so much to the heritage and culture of Iran. In her literary radio series ASHEGHANEH, she had done thorough research on their biographies, achievements, accomplishments, and their overall contributions for thousands of Iranians seeking knowledge everywhere.

http://www.parstimes.com/women/mojdeh_habibi/

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Kiana Hashemi graduated in Cinema, specializing in editing from Dramatic University in Tehran. She directed and edited several short films. She wrote a book about two styles of directing, based on Mise-en-scen and montage. She wrote film review for the most popular film magazine in Iran, such as "film". She wrote several articles about women in magazines and newspapers, such as Etemaad. She just finished a short film on 35 mm film with an extremely visual narrative and cinematic style. She is in prep on a feature.

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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 http://www.filmsocietyhf.org/Suzi%20Khatami%20web.jpgafter 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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Soheila Kian-Shayeg has received her Ph.D from University of California Los Angeles UCLA. Her Fields of study are French and Francophone Literature, Post-Colonial and Women Studies. Soheila has presented and published many papers in this field in literary journals and magazines such as The French Review, Simorgh, Le Maghreb Littéraire and Irandokht. Her forthcoming book : La traversée des frontières: Ecritures et transgressions d’Assia Djebar et de Leila Sebbar will be published in French by l’Harmattan Publishers (Paris) in Fall 2009. She is tremendously interested in the issues of immigration, multiculturalism, and identity crises. Presently Soheila teaches at the University of California Irvine UCI at “Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Cultures” and the French and Italian Department.

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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 and eagerness to excel led to his acceptance by Tehran's children-and-youth in 1971. 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 was accepted to study in musical 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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Fariba Rofougaran earned her Ph.D. in French literature from the University of Southern California, with an emphasis on 20th century literature and feminist theory. She has taught French literature and women’s studies. Since 1980, along with academic activities, Ms. Rofougaran has been involved in the study and practice of Eastern doctrines as well as in Western transformational works. She has led seminars in self-realization in Iran and in the U.S. Her publications include articles in Zan magazine, Jense Dovvom, jaam va jaan and Forough, of which she was co-creator and co-editor, and many translations into Persian. Currently she lives in Southern California where she practices holistic life coaching which integrates teaching Kundalini yoga, Jnana yoga or transformation of the mind, and teaching tanbour - the spiritual stringed instrument of Ahle Hagh - as meditation. Also known as Heyraneh, she released her first album, "Prayers on Tanbour" in 2007.

http://www.meyyoga.com/about.html

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FARBOD SADJADI Viewing a great artwork takes us to another world, or another time, sometimes only for a moment, a snapshot blink of the mind's eye in the artist's imagination. Other times, transfixed by image and color and texture, we are transported whole and breathing into another realm altogether, one not entirely unlike our own, yet unique and completely satisfying in ways that ours is not. And sometimes we find ourselves between that world and this one, like a kiss in a mirror, not only drawn hypnotically, inexorably, to the stunning vision of the artist's creation, but also surprised by how it illuminates the everyday details in real life we may never have noticed before, nor would we be likely to, if we hadn't encountered the art at this exact instant.

My work and life spans many countries, inspired by many influences, but it's often distinguished by the appearance of the lush suggestion of life in a pomegranate or many other symbol, the shifting, timeless desert sands. In these windows, through these doorways, I glimpse an interior landscape of the glory of being, the freedom of the soul, a celebration of most magnificent aspects. At the same time, they remind me that I yearn to be more, to do more, to feel more of my selves and share more with others.

I see my work as post-surrealist -- with a hint of realism. In abstractionism, and surrealism, I like the fact that the viewer cannot readily grasp the my intention, and yet does so intuitively. The recognition of beauty, of personality, is primal. It's instinct. My art encompasses my views of a dream world, along with the subconscious, made of random thoughts, memories, and experiences organized in an intuitive narrative. The order I imposes on my forms creates a reality separate from any actual representation. In my eyes, under my brush, this dream world exemplifies a person's most holistic existence, because of the simultaneous presence of both physical and metaphysical realities.

What's extraordinary about Farbod's worlds of dreams is that, once inside them, we have no need for waking. We slip in and out of them as easily as sleep itself, but their impression on our daily lives is indelible. We remember the sensations of color and light and the recognition of human qualities near to our own hearts. We imagine a better, brighter future for ourselves and those around us. Simply by being who we are, we embody those qualities, and we become that future.

I get my idea from anything or anywhere and sometimes by the end of the day the same way they came to my mind they leave and the one that stays, takes me to my dream world and at this moment the world out side disappear and I enter my world with lots of objects and paintings that I started years ago and they are waiting for me to bring them to reality. In my recent work I was inspired by the writings of the two of the greatest 20th century Persian poet, Frough Farokhzad and Sohrab Sepehri.

Frough Farokhzad is considered the most famous of contemporary Iranian poets. She not only contributed to the modernisation of Persian poetry tradition but also to the evolution of Iranian popular culture and Sohrab Sepehri who his poetry is full of humanity and concern for human values. He loved nature and refers to it frequently and he was also one of Iran's foremost modernist painters.
In my new work I tried to be as simple as possible and this was a real challenge since my earlier collection they were mostly surrealism.

"My recent paintings are part of a continuing series of painting-cycles begun in 2007 exploring diverse aspects of Persian Poetry. They deal in part with the evolution of universally significant pictorial systems from elemental, symbolism marks and forms. The connections between basic spatial configurations in nature and art were some of the starting points of my explorations of how the rhythm and energy activates principles of Sacred Geometry to create natural forms. In considering art as a metaphor for Persian Poetry, and as the artist for the Prime Creator , my work is concerned with how things come to be, and with how and what they may become."

"Art's ability to encompass the fields of physical science, psychology, philosophy, religion and myth enables it to weave meaningful images out of the individual strands of knowledge from other, more restrictively focused disciplines. Future works will continue this wide-ranging exploration of how meaning emerges in abstract art and in art's potential for providing insight into the nature of life."

"I like to make paintings that are alive, that breathe and glow, that are light, enduring; that are nourishing, healing and benign; that are generous, grand and expansive; that reflect the brightest sublime expression of all that is best and highest in us."

Farbod's Middle Eastern roots contribute an underlying raw primitivism to his statements on both the artificial and transitory nature of contemporary Surreal life. Using infinite expanses of layered color, texture, and subtle symbolism, Farbod taps the divine imagination to create a universal appreciation for his work. Farbod's work is unrestrained and evocative, drawing the audience into the thoughts and emotions of the artist himself at the time of creation.

Largely a dedicated self-taught painter, Farbod's work is about the spontaneity and process inherent in creativity and in daily life. Farbod Sadjadi, Born in Teheran, Iran, 1956, of German and Iranian heritage, lives in Los Angeles.

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Dear Friends of the Film Society:

As Norooz is upon us, the DVD of the Claus Strigel's unique film: Moon Sun Flower Game is a valuable gift for yourself and your loved ones. This great film is about Forough Farokhzad, an extraordinary woman and her adopted child (as a single woman): Hossein Mansouri.

Farokhzad was a great filmmaker and poet who fought for women rights at a time when all odds were against her, and long before the feminist movement came along. To purchase the DVD of Moon Sun Flower Game. please mail your check of $30.00 ( includes shipment) to the following address:

Film Society
4124 Defender Dr.
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
USA

Contact: fayyad@aol.com