Latest news with #Persian-language
Kuwait Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Rocking 'King Lear' to draw young audience in Iran
An Iranian director is breathing new life into William Shakespeare's "King Lear" with a bold staging in Tehran infused with rock music and a dazzling light show to attract younger audiences. In Iran, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and playwrights must walk a tightrope to avoid censorship of content the authorities deem inappropriate. But despite political tensions between Tehran and the West, many international works still make it to the Iranian stage. Now well-known actress Elika Abdolrazzaghi has taken on the challenge of reimagining "King Lear" for a contemporary audience. "If I had staged the original version, it would have been too heavy for people -- they would have been bored," the 45-year-old told AFP. To inject energy into the performance, Abdolrazzaghi has incorporated music from British rock band Muse and German industrial metal group Rammstein. Vivid costumes and sparkling lights lend the production a festive atmosphere, despite the play's dark core. First published in the early 17th century, "King Lear" tells the story of a crumbling monarchy and a family torn apart by betrayal, power struggles and hunger for the throne. An ageing and weary Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, based on how well they flatter him in public. Actors perform during a presentation of William Shakespeare's "King Lear". Actor and singer Reza Yazdani performs. Actors perform during a presentation of William Shakespeare's "King Lear". Actors perform during a presentation of William Shakespeare's "King Lear", directed by Iranian actress and director Elika Abdolrazzaghi, at Tehran's Shahr Theatre.--AFP photos 'No restrictions' Naive and prideful, Lear disowns Cordelia, his youngest daughter, who refuses to join the charade. "I transformed many word-heavy sections of the play into movement, imagery, music and dance," Abdolrazzaghi said. The actors wear richly detailed costumes in bold reds, greens and yellows, inspired by classic fashions from the 17th century. Reza Yazdani, a household name in Iran's rock scene, performs the Persian-language songs live on stage. The production has struck a chord with theatregoers. "We didn't think we could sit through a two-hour play," Amin, a 32-year-old engineer, told AFP. "But it was really good -- from the actors' performances to the music and set design," he said after going to the play with his wife, Elham. With a company of around 100 people, including several dozen actors, Abdolrazzaghi and her team spent several months preparing the show. "In Iran there are many women directing theatre, but few are well known," she said. Abdolrazzaghi, who has performed in works by Bertolt Brecht, Friedrich Durrenmatt from Switzerland and France's Yasmina Reza, says the Iranian authorities impose "no restrictions" on staging foreign plays. Spectators wait to watch a performance of William Shakespeare's "King Lear". Iranian actress and director Elika Abdolrazzaghi, poses at Tehran's Shahr Theatre where she is presenting William Shakespeare's "King Lear". An actress performs during a presentation of William Shakespeare's "King Lear". 'A more just world' "Theatre is essentially a Western phenomenon and remains a young art form in Iran," said Abdolrazzaghi. Ahmad Saatchian, the lead actor and a stage veteran with two decades of experience, calls Lear "the greatest role" of his career. "Portraying one of the most important characters in literary history is a rare opportunity for an actor," he said. Tragedies such as "King Lear" are "universal and resonate with people around the world -- that's why Shakespeare remains timeless," he added. In recent years, many of Shakespeare's works have been performed in Iran. "Countries that have experienced similar political dynamics -- like Iran or those in Eastern Europe -- tend to connect deeply with Shakespeare's work," said Saatchian. In the final act, Lear, broken by betrayal, regains clarity before his death. "In one scene, Lear calls on those in power to expose themselves to the suffering of the poor in order to build a more just world," Saatchian said. "That's a message that resonates everywhere." - AFP
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Iran Cannes winner Panahi backs trucker strikes
Iranian director and screenwriter and producer Jafar Panahi poses with the trophy during a photocall after winning the Palme d'Or for the film "Un simple accident" (A Simple Accident) during the closing ceremony at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France.--AFP Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi backed week-long nationwide strikes by truckers Wednesday as a "loud call" to the authorities, after arriving home from his triumph at the Cannes film festival. Truck drivers across Iran were striking for a seventh day on Wednesday in a stoppage rare in its length and magnitude, seeking better conditions in a sector crucial for the economy in the Islamic republic. After starting last week in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the strike action has spread across the country, according to reports by monitoring groups on social media and Persian-language media based outside Iran. The truck drivers are protesting a rise in insurance premiums, poor road security, high fuel prices and low freight rates, according to union statements cited by these media. "They are fed up. They have no choice but to go strike," Panahi wrote on Instagram, having returned to Iran on Monday after winning the Palme d'or for his latest film "It Was Just an Accident". "When thieves and illiterate people are put in charge, the result is this terrible situation: corruption and mismanagement in everything, from the economy and culture to the environment and politics," added Panahi. The acclaimed director was long banned from filmmaking and unable to leave Iran, having also spent time in prison due to his political stances. "This strike is a loud call to the government saying: 'Enough! Stop all this oppression and plunder'," he said. Persian-language television channels based outside Iran, including Iran International and Manoto, which are critical of the government, said the strike was continuing Wednesday, broadcasting images of deserted roads sent from inside Iran as well as trucks parked up in cities including the central city of Isfahan. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the images. Tankers carrying fuel from the major refinery in Abadan in western Iran have now joined the strike, Manoto said. Iran International also said some participants had been arrested in the western city of Kermanshah, following arrests earlier this week in the southern city of Shiraz. The same outlets also indicated that there have been strikes in other sectors in Iran, notably by bakers who are angered by early morning power cuts when they are baking bread. — AFP
The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Rocking 'King Lear' to draw young audience in Iran
An Iranian director is breathing new life into William Shakespeare's King Lear with a bold staging in Tehran infused with rock music and a dazzling light show to attract younger audiences. In Iran, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and playwrights must walk a tightrope to avoid censorship of content the authorities deem inappropriate. But despite political tensions between Tehran and the West, many international works still make it to the Iranian stage. Now well-known actress Elika Abdolrazzaghi has taken on the challenge of reimagining King Lear or a contemporary audience. "If I had staged the original version, it would have been too heavy for people - they would have been bored," said the 45-year-old. Iranian actress-director Elika Abdolrazzaghi poses at Tehran's Shahr Theatre where she is presenting a bold staging of Shakespeare's 'King Lear'. Photo: AFP To inject energy into the performance, Abdolrazzaghi has incorporated music from British rock band Muse and German industrial metal group Rammstein. Vivid costumes and sparkling lights lend the production a festive atmosphere, despite the play's dark core. First published in the early 17th century, King Lear tells the story of a crumbling monarchy and a family torn apart by betrayal, power struggles and hunger for the throne. An ageing and weary Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, based on how well they flatter him in public. 'No restrictions' Naive and prideful, Lear disowns Cordelia, his youngest daughter, who refuses to join the charade. "I transformed many word-heavy sections of the play into movement, imagery, music and dance," Abdolrazzaghi said. The actors wear richly detailed costumes in bold reds, greens and yellows, inspired by classic fashions from the 17th century. A young audience waits for 'King Lear' at Tehran's Shahr Theatre. Photo: AFP Reza Yazdani, a household name in Iran's rock scene, performs the Persian-language songs live on stage. The production has struck a chord with theatregoers. "We didn't think we could sit through a two-hour play," said Amin, a 32-year-old engineer. "But it was really good - from the actors' performances to the music and set design," he said after going to the play with his wife, Elham. With a company of around 100 people, including several dozen actors, Abdolrazzaghi and her team spent several months preparing the show. "In Iran there are many women directing theatre, but few are well known," she said. Abdolrazzaghi, who has performed in works by Bertolt Brecht, Friedrich Durrenmatt from Switzerland and France's Yasmina Reza, says the Iranian authorities impose "no restrictions" on staging foreign plays. 'A more just world' "Theatre is essentially a Western phenomenon and remains a young art form in Iran," said Abdolrazzaghi. Ahmad Saatchian, the lead actor and a stage veteran with two decades of experience, calls Lear "the greatest role" of his career. The bold staging of 'King Lear' blends rock music and a dazzling light show to draw younger audiences - while navigating censorship laws in Iran. Photo: AFP "Portraying one of the most important characters in literary history is a rare opportunity for an actor," he said. Tragedies such as King Lear are "universal and resonate with people around the world - that's why Shakespeare remains timeless," he added. In recent years, many of Shakespeare's works have been performed in Iran. "Countries that have experienced similar political dynamics - like Iran or those in Eastern Europe - tend to connect deeply with Shakespeare's work," said Saatchian. In the final act, Lear, broken by betrayal, regains clarity before his death. "In one scene, Lear calls on those in power to expose themselves to the suffering of the poor in order to build a more just world," Saatchian said. "That's a message that resonates everywhere." - AFP
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Palme d'Or winner Jafar Panahi expresses support for Iranian trucker strike
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi backed week-long nationwide strikes by truckers on Wednesday, March 28, as a "loud call" to the authorities, after arriving home from his triumph at the Cannes film festival. Truck drivers across Iran were striking for a seventh day on Wednesday in a stoppage rare in its length and magnitude, seeking better conditions in a sector crucial for the economy in the Islamic republic. After starting last week in the southwestern port city of Bandar Abbas, the strike action has spread across the country, according to reports by monitoring groups on social media and Persian-language media based outside Iran. The truck drivers are protesting a rise in insurance premiums, poor road security, high fuel prices and low freight rates, according to union statements cited by these media. "They are fed up. They have no choice but to go strike," Panahi wrote on Instagram, having returned to Iran on Monday after winning the Palme d'or for his latest film "It Was Just an Accident". "When thieves and illiterate people are put in charge, the result is this terrible situation: corruption and mismanagement in everything, from the economy and culture to the environment and politics," added Panahi. The acclaimed director was long banned from filmmaking and unable to leave Iran, having also spent time in prison due to his political stances. "This strike is a loud call to the government saying: 'Enough! Stop all this oppression and plunder'," he said. Persian-language television channels based outside Iran, including Iran International and Manoto, which are critical of the government, said the strike was continuing Wednesday, broadcasting images of deserted roads sent from inside Iran. Tankers carrying fuel from the major refinery in Abadan in western Iran have now joined the strike, Manoto said. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the images. The same outlets also indicated that there have been strikes in other sectors in Iran, notably by bakers who are angered by early morning power cuts when they are baking bread.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Iran Cannes winner Panahi backs trucker strikes
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi backed week-long nationwide strikes by truckers Wednesday as a "loud call" to the authorities, after arriving home from his triumph at the Cannes film festival. Truck drivers across Iran were striking for a seventh day on Wednesday in a stoppage rare in its length and magnitude, seeking better conditions in a sector crucial for the economy in the Islamic republic. After starting last week in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the strike action has spread across the country, according to reports by monitoring groups on social media and Persian-language media based outside Iran. The truck drivers are protesting a rise in insurance premiums, poor road security, high fuel prices and low freight rates, according to union statements cited by these media. "They are fed up. They have no choice but to go strike," Panahi wrote on Instagram, having returned to Iran on Monday after winning the Palme d'or for his latest film "It Was Just an Accident". "When thieves and illiterate people are put in charge, the result is this terrible situation: corruption and mismanagement in everything, from the economy and culture to the environment and politics," added Panahi. The acclaimed director was long banned from filmmaking and unable to leave Iran, having also spent time in prison due to his political stances. "This strike is a loud call to the government saying: 'Enough! Stop all this oppression and plunder'," he said. Persian-language television channels based outside Iran, including Iran International and Manoto, which are critical of the government, said the strike was continuing Wednesday, broadcasting images of deserted roads sent from inside Iran as well as trucks parked up in cities including the central city of Isfahan. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the images. Tankers carrying fuel from the major refinery in Abadan in western Iran have now joined the strike, Manoto said. Iran International also said some participants had been arrested in the western city of Kermanshah, following arrests earlier this week in the southern city of Shiraz. The same outlets also indicated that there have been strikes in other sectors in Iran, notably by bakers who are angered by early morning power cuts when they are baking bread. sjw/ekf/jsa
