Massoud Schirazi

Author: Massoud Schirazi

Still from the animated film "Tehran Taboo" by German-Iranian director Ali Soozandeh (copyright: Ali Soozandeh)

Ali Soozandeh's film "Tehran Taboo"

Nothing but taboos

German-Iranian director Ali Soozandeh says that he made the film "Tehran Taboo" in order to "break the silence". In doing so, however, he has sketched a portrait of Iran that is almost unbearable, especially for the critical viewer with a knowledge of Iran, says Massoud SchiraziMore

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Iranian female students (photo: Massoud Schirazi)

The University of Tehran

Winds of change blowing over the campus

As president of the University of Tehran, Farhad Rahbar made many enemies with his hard-line approach. His successor, Mohammad Hossein Omid, who started work in February, is seen as the great "hope" for the nation's most famous university. By Massoud SchiraziMore

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Young people in Darband, northern Tehran (photo: Massoud Schirazi)

Iranian cinema

Shining a light on inner conflicts

"Darband" and "Sar be Mohr" are two new Iranian films that offer profound insights into the lives of young urban Iranians, highlighting their inner conflicts and the turmoil that is tearing many of them apart. Massoud Schirazi went to see both films in TeheranMore

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Iranian musician Shahram Nazeri

The Persian nightingale and the flowers of hope

Shahram Nazeri is the undisputed master of setting Rumi's poetry to music. At a recent concert in Teheran, the renowned musician sang his audience into a state of ecstasy and gave voice to the Iranians' hopes for a brighter cultural future. After several barren years, the cultural scene is indeed showing tentative signs of change. By Massoud SchiraziMore

Musicians in Iran: An Uphill Struggle All the Way Interview with the Iranian Virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor: For the Love of Improvisation Iranian Tombak Virtuoso Mohammad Reza Mortazavi: Flying Fingers

Author: Massoud Schirazi

In brief

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