Session 29: Koyaanisqatsi

Koyaanisqatsi (English pronunciation: /koʊjɑːnɪsˈkɑːtsiː/), also known as Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, is a 1982 film directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke.

The film consists primarily of slow motion and time-lapse footage of cities and many natural landscapes across the United States. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and music. Reggio explained the lack of dialogue by stating "it's not for lack of love of the language that these films have no words. It's because, from my point of view, our language is in a state of vast humiliation. It no longer describes the world in which we live." In the Hopi language, the word Koyaanisqatsi means "unbalanced life". The film is the first in the Qatsi trilogy of films: it is followed by Powaqqatsi (1988) and Naqoyqatsi (2002). The trilogy depicts different aspects of the relationship between humans, nature, and technology. Koyaanisqatsi is the best known of the trilogy and is considered a cult film. However, because of copyright issues, the film was out of print for most of the 1990s. 

^{Time: Friday, March 14, 2014 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa 
Running time: 86 minutes · Admission: Free}

Session 28: The Seventh Seal

Theatrical release poster

The Seventh Seal (Swedish: Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish drama-fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Sweden during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot), who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play Wood Painting. The title refers to a passage from the Book of Revelation, used both at the very start of the film, and again towards the end, beginning with the words "And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour". Here the motif of silence refers to the "silence of God" which is a major theme of the film.


The film is considered a major classic of world cinema. It helped Bergman to establish himself as a world-renowned director and contains scenes which have become iconic through parodies and homages. / wiki


Sweden / 1957 / Black and White / 96 min /
Time: Thursday, October 3, 2013 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa
Language: Swedish & Latin with English subtitle
Admission: Free

Session 27: Persian Carpet

The Persian carpet -- from "farsh", meaning "to spread" -- is an essential part of Persian art and culture. Carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to ancient times. Conceived first among the nomadic tribes as a household necessity for the harsh winters, the Persian carpet has evolved into a marvellous vehicle of artistic expression noted particularly for its vivid colours and motifs. In this episodic film, fifteen filmmakers were allowed to choose their particular subjects and narrative forms. The formats include music video, art video, documenatry, animation and fiction, and the episodes are set in different cities aroun Iran.

Dir.: .Behruz Afkhami, Rakhshan Bani Etemad, Bahram Beizai, Jafar Panahi, Kamal Tabrizi, Seifollah Daad, Mojtaba Raee, Nor-ol-Din Zarrin-Kelk, Khosro Sinaee, Bahman Farmanara, Abbas Kiarostami, Majid Majidi, Dariush Mehrjui, Reza Mir-Karimi, Mohammad Reza Honardmand,  

Cast: Hossein Eskandari, Mina Rasti, Melika Janesari, Hosseim Moqimin, Ramz-Ali Dadvar, Yunes Farzane, Bahram Shakeri, Reza Kianian

Iran / 2007 / 35 mm / Colour / 120 min /

Time: Thursday, June 6, 2013 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa
Language: Persian
Admission: Free

Session 26: AYĀDGĀR Ī ZARĒRĀN, The only surviving ancient Iranian epic poetry

How do we know our Pre-Islamic Literature? A large part of Shâh Nâme is inspired by the Old and Middle Persian soّurces. Among the Iranian Epic, AYĀDGĀR Ī ZARĒRĀN “Memorial of Zarēr” is the only surviving specimen in that language of ancient Iranian epic poetry.

In the dawn of the Zoroastrian faith, the story recounts the heroic deeds of Zarēr who is also mentioned in Shahnameh of Ferdowsi. King Wishtasp, who accepted the “pure religion of the Mazda-worshippers” (dēn ī abēzag ī māzdesnān), is sent a messenger by king Arjasp, the king of the Hyons. Although Jamasp, minister of Wishtasp, predicts that Zarir, brother of Wishtasp, and many of the kins of Wishtasp will be martyred in the future battle, because of the advent of new religion, the tensions are inevitable.

Zarēr, after a heroic fight, is foully slain by a Hyōn, Wīdrafš the sorcerer. His young son Bastwar, forbidden by Wištāsp to go to the battle-field, fronts this command, finds his father’s body, and utters a moving lament over it. He kills many Hyōns in revenge, and shoots an arrow through Wīdrafš’ heart. His cousin Spandyād (Esfandiyar in Shahnameh), Wištāsp’s son, ends the battle by capturing Arǰāsp, mutilating him, and sending him abject away.

The story follows a simple intrigue. However, behind its simplicity, we can find out in this epic story about our culture, and history. How significant is this text and where is its place in the Iranian Literature? Introducing a part of Pre-Islamic literary history helps us to better know our culture and forgotten past.

To be presented by Nazila Khalkhali

Time: Friday, May 10, 2013 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa
Language: Persian
Admission: Free

Session 25: Attar and the Book of Suffering - اندر احوالات شیخ فریدالدین عطار و کتاب مصیبت نامه

Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr-Ibrahim, known as his pen-name: Farid ud-Din Attar (1145/6-1221), Persian poet, Sufi, hagiographer, theoretician of mysticism, was born in Nishabuhr.  He is one of the most respected Sufis of 12^th/6^th century. Molavi, the great Iranian Poet, describes him as a Sufi who “traversed the seven cities of love, we are still at the turn of one street”.

هفت شهر عشق را عطار گشت
 ما هنوز اندر خم یک کوچه ایم

Our knowledge about his biography is poor. According to his name, Attar, we know he was a chemist, the family business that he inherited from his father. Because of an accidental meeting, he left his job, and began a long journey – from Nishabuhr to Baghdad, Basra, Kufa, Mecca, Medina, Damascus, Khwarazm, and Turkistan, India. He met many great Sufis during his journey and talked to them. 

It’s said that the number of his books are as same as the number of Quran Surahs, 114, what is disputable. Some of his known works are: 

• Dīvān (دیوان)
• Book of Secrets (اسرار نامه)
• Maqāmāt-e Toyūr (= Manteq aṭ-Ṭayr; مقامات الطیور or منطق الطیر)
• Book of Suffering (مصیب نامه)
• Elāhī-Nāma (الهی نامه)
• Book of Jewels (جواهر نامه)
• Šarḥ al-Qalb (شرح القلب)
• Tazkarat ol Olya (تذکره الاولیا)
• Khosrow Nama (خسرو نامه/گل و هرمز/گل و خسرو)

Now we are gathering to discuss about one of Attar’s works: the Book of Suffering. How can suffering and injustice be reconciled with the idea of kindness of God who loves the humans and is merciful to them? Philosophers, theologians, poets, prophets and laypersons have questioned their image of God in the light of a reality full of hardship. Some see suffering as a proof of God’s existence and purification of soul, while the others still respond by rebelling against Him: why would a God who loves his creations make them suffer so?

Navid Kermani, writer of the book THE TERROR OF GOD, ATTAR, JOB AND THE MYSTICAL REVOLT, lives in Cologne, Germany. He has been awarded numerous prizes for his literary and academic work, the most recent being the Buber-Rosenzweig Medal in 2011.

To be presented by Nazila Khalkhali

Time: Thursday, March 7, 2013 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa

Language: Persian
Admission: Free

Session 24: The Red Ribbon

A film by Ebrahim Hatamikia

Ebrahim Hatamikia is an Iranian filmmaker. Ebrahim Hatamikia, who is internationally renowned for his role in the cinema of Iran in the 1990s, was born in 1961 in Tehran, Iran. He left the Art University where he studied script writing. He began his directing career with the film “The Identity” in 1986 and some short films and documentaries about the Iran–Iraq War. His movies are considered to be the best that tackles the war and the issues surrounding it. His works have often received admiration in national film festivals. “The Glass Agency” and “In the Name of the Father” have won him the best screenplay and directing awards in the sixteenth and twenty-fourth Fajr International Film Festival respectively. His recent works have also been on international screens: “The Glass Agency” in Berlin and “The Red Ribbon” in San Sebastian. — wiki

The Red Ribbon
Rooban-e ghermez
Iran
1999
110 Min
Color
Persian

DIR Ebrahim Hatamikia
SCR Ebrahim Hatamikia
DP Hassan Pooya
CAST Azita Hajian, Reza Kianian, Parviz Parastui
ED Haydeh Safi-Yari
MUSIC Mohammad Reza Aligholi

Time: Thursday, November 22 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa

Language: Persian
Admission: Free

Session 23: Iranian version of Islam

The presence of Islam in the Iranian plateau drove to a permanent and profound transformation in the religious, cultural, and social life of the Iranian world. Since 6^th century, the presence of Islam in Iranian Plateau has dramatically changed the whole Iranian culture. How did this religion penetrate our ancestors’ lives?  As the historians reported, did they warmly welcome it or did they resist? How did Iranians impact Arab-Islamic culture? In this session, I focus on the studies of one of American scholars Richard Bulliet who specialize in Iranian Studies, especially in medieval history of Iran. 

Islam, a typical scriptural religion by virtue of the Qur’an, has contrastingly enjoyed since its inception a remarkable stability in its canonical practices and fundamental tenets, despite the sectarian differences and conflicts. The appeal of Islam has in addition been universal, as indeed was first evidenced by the adherence to it of the Persians, and its supremacy in the Iranian world has never been seriously challenged by any other creed. It may in fact be argued that in terms of intimacy and antiquity the Persian relationship with Islam is second only to the nexus of the Arabic-speaking peoples with the faith; the Persians were the second human collectivity to become acquainted with the Qurʾanic message, and the tongue they elaborated bearing its imprint was the first into which the Qurʾan was translated. The near-universal acceptance of Islam prepared the ground for Persian culture a far greater degree of cohesion than had obtained in pre-Islamic times. Within that Muslim community of faith, especially its Turkish and Indian domains, Persians played a consistently prominent role, and their language was second only to Arabic as a vehicle for the cultivation and transmission of Islamic culture. 

Now we are gathering to discuss the today status of Islam in Iranian history, culture and identity.

My sources for this discussion are: 

1.     Richard Bulliet (1994). Islam, the view from the edge. Columbia University Press.

2.     ---. (2009). Cotton, Climate, and Camels in Early Islamic Iran, Columbia University Press.

3.     غلامحسین زرین کوب (1355). دو قرن سکوت. انتشارات امیر کبیر. تهران.

4.     Islam In Iran http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/islam-in-iran-1#i

Nazila Khalkhali

Time: Thursday, October 18 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa

Language: Persian · Admission: Free