Awakening Cyrus the Great

First national film about Koorosh-e-Kabir

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Awakening Cyrus the Great
by atahouri
17-Jul-2010
 

Iranians called him the father, Babylonians called him the protector, Jews called him the messiah and Greeks called him the law giver.

The outstanding leader, Cyrus embraced the known world and established security for the oppressed and became one of the most important figures of ancient history. He is also mentioned in the Quran known as Zulqarnain.

For the first time, a national film will be made about Koorosh-e-Kabir, also known as Cyrus the Great in the English speaking world. The movie will be developed and produced by Iranians from the Farabi Cinematic Foundation (FCF).

Previous films related to the Achaemenid civilisation have lacked accuracy in their representation of historical accounts. Movies such as Hollywood’s ‘Alexander the Great’ and ‘300' have all portrayed a distorted view of ancient Iran.

Achaemenids were the first of the dynasties to rule over significant portions of Greater Iran. At the height of its power, encompassing approximately 8 million square kilometres, territorially about twice the size of the Roman Empire which appeared centuries later.

This cinematic film will attempt to recreate the events of Cyrus’ life. Efforts were originally made in 2003 to make a film about Cyrus by British-German producer Alex Jovy who was granted to spend £50 million on the film. He stated that 75% of the film’s payroll would go to the British, European and Commonwealth nationals. Shortly after film development came to a halt.

There is limited historical evidence about Cyrus' life but it is known that he was a descendant to the royal Achaemenid family and was banished as a child and raised by shepherds. He grew strong in leadership and eventually took the throne as Iran’s supreme king uniting the Arian people: Kurds (Medes) and Fars (Persians). Before him there were a multitude of city states and after him there was a vision that the unification of all cultures, one world could be possible.

Fortunately for Iranians and Middle Easterners, having to endure years of negative press in the Western media, the Iranians will take the legendary figure to the big screen. It is likely the language in the film will be Farsi and the project may hit the international stage in Spanish and Russian which was announced by FCF director Ahmad Mir-Alaii.

According to Tehran Times the idea for the film was initiated by Azizollah Hamidnejad. A professional team will soon begin writing the screenplay with the supervision of Jalil Erfanmanesh.

Cyrus the Great is most famous for issuing a decree called the charter of rights of nations inscribed in cuneiform. A replica is displayed in the United Nations headquarters known as the ‘First declaration of Human Rights’.

The Achaemenids were important for their development of government administration, the spread of art and religious enlightenment which brought the first monotheistic religion Zoroastrianism to the world.

It was 550 BC when Cyrus established Achaemenid Iran, making the dynasty the first supreme power of the known world connecting the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe by respecting cultures, religious beliefs and human rights, a good reminder of today’s mutually dependent and interconnected world.

Amir Tahouri

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Vishtaspa

Re: Khashayarsha

by Vishtaspa on Wed Jul 21, 2010 01:56 PM PDT

You can't use Kouroush as an exemplar of human rights anymore than you can the Athenians for democracy. After all, only land-owning Athenian men were allowed to vote and women were treated barbarically.

 

...Of course we (rightfully) credit the Athenian Greeks with inventing democracy, though. Why? Because you simply can't impose 21st-century standards on ideas that had their genesis in the 5th-century B.C.

 

Kouroush is recognized as the first to compile a human rights declaration by the same standard: without what we would consider insufficient in terms of human rights or democracy today was revolutionary and generous at the time, and without it we would not even have had the opportunity to develop our present-day notions of them.

 

Thus, both Athens and the Achaemenids contributed greatly to our modern-day heritage of democracy and human-rights. We should not be so foolish as to dismiss either due to a lack of historical context.


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statira

??

by statira on Mon Jul 19, 2010 09:25 AM PDT

I wonder how much the budget is and if there is enough fund for it? I wish it would play in English to apeal more audiences. If it's in Farsi, how many people actually go to the theaters and watch it, considering it would not be played in Iran's theaters.


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default

How many times?

by Mahvash Shahegh on Mon Jul 19, 2010 08:41 AM PDT

I don't know how many times, it is needed to be said, written, mentioned by the Persian scholars that the name of Iranian language in English is PERSIAN not Farsi. Farsi is when we talk in our own vernacular not in English. If I am not mistaken, this article is written in English, therefore, the name of our language is PERSIAN. I solicit the writer of the article, to let us know the reason(s) that s/he has used Farsi instead.


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Khashayarsha

OK...but

by Khashayarsha on Mon Jul 19, 2010 04:42 AM PDT

 

Let us not forget that Cyrus was an absolute monarch.

You can't use him as an example of democracy and human rights.

He was tolerant, but also a very clever man who realised you had to give the people some freedom.


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obama

Atahouri, it is Persian, not f...! i hope the movie ....

by obama on Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:37 PM PDT

would be more accurate. Not a good start though. If you are using Farsi (not even parsi, which was called during the time of Cyrus), why then you are not using "ingilisi" instead "English"? You cannot have it both ways! Make your mind before you distort our Persian history the same way!

I don't know how accurate you are going to be now! Good luck and I wish you success!


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R2-D2

A Very Worthy Endeavor ...

by R2-D2 on Sun Jul 18, 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Hopefully, The Production And Acccuracy Would Be Commensurate To The Truly Great Man That He was .. Not Only To Our Beloved Iran, But To The History Of Humanity As A Whole

محمد رضای عزیز !!!: کوروش، اسوده بخواب که ما بیداریم (واقعا که.....!)

 

 


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Darius Kadivar

Something We Iranians should encourage are Re enactments

by Darius Kadivar on Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:51 AM PDT

In Europe it is done all the time like here in Poland lately:

//www.bbc.co.uk/news/10674476

There are clubs across Europe of passionate historian amateurs who recreate battles with Full Constumes, Armor, etc for Napoleonic or Medieval Recreations of major battles in History.

It is an interesting way to illustrate history.

I'd love to see this done in Iran or even in Europe amongst History buffs.

The Shah's 2500 years celebrations were an attempt to introduce this kind of event.

Look forward to Alex Jovey's Film. Hope they make a good movie. He has announced this often but never delivered no more than Cyrus Kar.

I hope it won't remain at the stage of a hypothetical project ...


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benross

Hope the IRI would allow

by benross on Sat Jul 17, 2010 06:46 PM PDT

Hope the IRI would allow that move to be shown in Iran

I heard they put only a tiny condition. Ahmadi should play the role of Cyrus. 


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iamfine

I am anxious

by iamfine on Sat Jul 17, 2010 06:41 PM PDT

I definitely like to see it. Hope the IRI would allow that move to be shown in Iran


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Abarmard

3rd time

by Abarmard on Sat Jul 17, 2010 06:15 PM PDT

Hopefully this time is for real.

Cyrus Kar attempted this, still in need of funds

A British film company attempted this and stopped production. 

Now this...


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Immortal Guard

That's Great!

by Immortal Guard on Sat Jul 17, 2010 04:39 PM PDT

That's Great!


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