Hossein Torabi
Hossein Torabi, director of the acclaimed For Freedom (1979), which the British Film Institute hailed as a documentary that “shook the world,” was born in 1936. His oeuvre includes many well-received documentaries and screenplays. He served as a jury member in a number of film festivals, including the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and the Fair Film Festival. Hossein Torabi’s cinema is a great example of direct cinema, or cinéma vérité, in which the camera seeks to portray reality without the use of artificial elements. His unique capture of historical events has led to the creation of remarkable pieces of visual history and highlights cinema’s responsibility to document pivotal events. Torabi’s camera follows everyday experiences, as well as the Iranian population’s traditions and rituals. Though the cinematography is simple, it is incredibly functional.
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For Freedom
برای آزادی
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1979 • Iran
Pure “Direct Cinema”: Hossein Torabi films the events without knowing their outcome: Processions of mourning and jubilation, scenes after the fire in the “Cinema Rex” in Abadan, southern Iran, in which 377 viewers died; the famous interview with... -
Ghamsar Rosewater
گلاب قمصر
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1971 • Iran
A documentary about the village of Ghamsar, the historic hub of making rose water in Iran, depicting the traditions of making their famed perfume. -
Isfahan
اصفهان
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1976 • Iran
City of Isfahan, the ancient Persian capital and its stunning architecture, arts and traditions are pictured in this documentary, while using the backdrop of then Iran in the last years of Shah and drive to modernize the country. Words and narration... -
Ferdowsi and the People
فردوسی و مردم
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1977 • Iran
A documentary about Ferdowsi, the great Persian poet of 9th century, the creator epic Shahnameh (the book of kings). The film examines the impacts of the poet and his masterpiece, almost one thousand years after its creation, on Iran and Iran... -
In Memoriam of a National Leader
یادی از یک رهبر ملی
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1979 • Iran
A short documentary about Dr.Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882 –1967), the democratically elected prime minister of Iran, who was removed from power with a coup orchestrated by British and American governments, and changed the fate of millions o... -
The Seesaw
الاکلنگ
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1969 • Iran
The short film that portrays two couples, one traditional and one modern, given in the backdrop of the playground they met. -
The Messenger
پیامبر
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1976 • Iran
A short film about the small post office in Saman, a small village in rural Iran, and it’s dedicated postman. After the office manager is transferred to another position, the lone postman takes it upon himself to handle the entire office. He cleans,... -
The Spectacles
عینک
Directed by Hossein Torabi • 1978 • Iran
A short film by Hossein Torabi. The story begin with a boy’s routine visit to optometrist. He has poor eyesight and is prescribed with glasses. That is the beginning of the troubles for the little boy, who lives with his single mother in poor outskirt...
