Farah in Frédéric Mitterand's Documentary due Sat 21st February

Balatarin
Share/Save/Bookmark

Farah in Frédéric Mitterand's Documentary due Sat 21st February
by Darius Kadivar
12-Feb-2009
 

A Much expected documentary of the Former Queen of Iran will be aired on Sat 21st of February on FR3. Mitterand was the first Western Journalist to interview the Shahbanou in a kind light back in 1989 for the first decade of the Revolution.

Watch Teaser on FR3 Website

Plot in French:

A l’occasion du trentième anniversaire de l’exil du couple Impérial Iranien, Frédéric Mitterrand recueille les confidences de l’impératrice Farah Diba dans un documentaire de 75 minutes.


Il y a trente ans, en janvier 1979, la Révolution Islamique entraînait la chute du régime du Shah d’Iran et le départ du couple impérial.
Farah Pahlavi, dernière impératrice d’Iran, vit en exil depuis bientôt trente ans. Malgré l’éloignement de son pays natal et les menaces constantes qui pèsent encore sur elle et ses enfants, elle continue à défendre la mémoire de son mari, Reza Shah et l’œuvre accomplie à ses côtés durant leur règne.

Reconnue par les familles royales, proche de nombreux leaders politiques à travers le monde, constamment sollicitée par les médias, elle a su éviter tous les pièges d’une vie dorée et sans but, pour entretenir ses amitiés dans tous les milieux et opposer ses propres réponses aux jugements défavorables que l’on porte sur l’histoire contemporaine de l’Iran. Sa vie fut marquée jusqu’à ce jour d’une succession d’événements extraordinaires, à la fois exaltants et douloureux.
Alternant documents d’archives et entretiens exclusifs, le documentaire Farah éclaire de façon inédite le parcours hors du commun de l’épouse du Shah. Des années de règne, en passant par la Révolution Islamique, la disparition brutale de son époux, et enfin l’exil, dont Farah Diba est encore frappée aujourd’hui, autant de piliers et d’épreuves qui ont jalonné l’existence de l’Impératrice et sur lesquels elle accepte de s’exprimer.

Balatarin
Share/Save/Bookmark

Recently by Darius KadivarCommentsDate
TOMBSTONE: Bidding Goodbye to Iranian.com (ers)
4
Dec 05, 2012
ROYAL PREGNANCY: Prince William, Duchess of Cambridge Announce Pregnancy
3
Dec 04, 2012
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: Golshifteh Farahani & Sienna Miller in Road Movie ‘Just Like a Woman »
-
Dec 03, 2012
more from Darius Kadivar
 
Darius Kadivar

Interesting ...

by Darius Kadivar on Fri Feb 13, 2009 04:54 AM PST

Azarin Jaan,

Have you thought of writing about your experience ?  With your writing talents it could even inspire you to wrote a novel in the form of a family saga that spans on three generations. Something of a Gone With The Wind but Iroony ;0))

I know that Fatemeh Pakravan who must have been of the same generation as your grandma and who is half Russian wrote an interesting family biography ( different from the one on her husband). I just saw it in French in a Persian grocery but did not read it. My mother did however and found it very interesting and rich with anecdotes. I could not find it on amazon.com or .fr but It should be available in your area.

Warm Regards,

DK

 


  •  
Azarin Sadegh

Thanks!

by Azarin Sadegh on Thu Feb 12, 2009 05:31 PM PST

Thanks a lot Darius Jan for all the info in your reply! I'll defintely find the link...

It's strange that even if I was living in France in 1988-89, but I never realized all the consequences of Mitterand's interview with Shahbaanoo. I still remember his wonderful texts and his voice...

I think that documentary truly moved me, because I’ve been actually raised in a house with a mother who loved Shah. We weren't rich at all, but my mother had endured the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Russians/and Toodeh party. My grandfather who had fought with Russians, had to live in hiding during that time. So for my mother who had lived in fear of losing her father, the arrival of Shah to liberate Azerbaijan meant freedom and another chance at life given to my grandfather. My mother even got seriously sick after the departure of Shah, and by the revolution, the exact same way she had got sick after my older sisters had left Iran on the same day.

Having said that, when I was a teenager, I began reading Marx and Shariati and it made a little leftist opposing Shah out of me...until the day I read Kafka (I was around 16) and I stopped saving the world!!!

But the most important thing I remember from that 89 documentary was a new human face for our royal family. I had always seen Shah as an angel (through my Mother's eyes) or a Deev (because of Savak and everything that caused the revolution), but I never saw him as a simple human being who loved and was loved...a man who had made mistakes but also had suffered a lot.

Thanks again!

Cheers, Azarin


  •  
Darius Kadivar

Mitterand is Also a Great Film Critic ;o)

by Darius Kadivar on Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:21 PM PST

Hi Azarin,

I think the documentary will be available online so you will be able to watch it. If I find out I will update everyone on it.

Mitterand was at the time strongly criticized by the left wing intellegenstia spearheaded by Michel Polac (Droit de Reponse) for having interviewed her and given her a chance to defend her husband. It was done in 1989 the year Khomeiny died or a year before his death. The documentary was very touching and Mitterand was very nice to her. Anyone who saw her was moved.

Typically all the commies and left wing "Bien Pensants" Of the time were critical because they as usual equated the Shah and Hitler. Imagine the hypocrisy of all those who had not yet witnessed Sept 11th and the War on Terror. The same are now giving lessons on Democracy and spill tears on Hamas ...

Humanity NEVER Learns ! ...

What Absurdity ... In anycase at the time the program had a positive effect on the Pahlavi's reputation in France and made them accepted in the public view. Mitterand then did a very interesting documentary on the Shah in a series about Royalty.

Funny how a socialist like Mitterand ( whose Uncle was the French President) is such a Royalist ;0))

I just liked the honesty of his approach in giving our queen a chance to explain herself and her wishes for Iran.

It was a very gentleman behavior on the part of Mitterand. Since then everyone in European TV has copied him to interview Royals an the Pahlavis in particular.

In anycase the documentary I think led to a sincere friendship between Frédéric Mitterand and the Shahbanou.

I'm not surprised because She is a Very intelligent person and humane.

Thank you for your interest and wishing you a happy Valentine,

Love,

DK


  •  
Azarin Sadegh

I wish

by Azarin Sadegh on Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:46 AM PST

Dear Darius, I wish I could watch the documentary. I remember another interview that Mitterand did with Shahbanoo years ago, which completely changed my view about the late Shah and Shahbanoo...it was such a moving interview!

Too bad I can't watch it! I think Frédéric Mitterrand is just the best documentary-maker I know.

I hope you would find a link for poeple outside of France to be able to see it.

Thanks again, Azarin 

 


  •