Friday, June 24, 2016

Septembers of Shiraz: The Struggle of a Jewish Family During The Persian Revolution

By José Alberto Hermosillo
Septembers of Shiraz review www.festivalinLA.com

“Septembers of Shiraz” is a captivating and thought-provoking call for freedom.

In 1977, the song “Staying Alive” was played as background music at a gathering of a wealthy, secular Jewish/Iranian family in Tehran when the Iranian religious revolution overthrew the regime of the Shah of Iran.

Septembers of Shiraz poster

The Amin family celebrates their son’s farewell as he prepares to study abroad in Massachusetts.

Salma Hayek in Septembers of Shiraz review www.festivalinLA.com

During that time, the prosecution of industrious, affluent, and educated families was a daily occurrence. The State believed that people had the potential to overthrow the government.

Septembers of Shiraz review www.festivalinLA.com
 
The Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody is terrific as Issac Amin. His character’s arc starts as a businessman and father figure, and he becomes a prisoner and a victim of torture. 
 
His suffering makes him value life more than any material possessions. Soon after, he negotiates his freedom and his family’s safety.
 

Oscar nominee Salma Hayek-Pinault portrays Farnez, a dedicated wife and an Iranian Jewish woman with both opinions and a voice. In Iran, being a woman with those skills is considered defiant in light of the revolution. She embodies the ideal housewife and loving mother. Additionally, she writes for local magazines about lifestyles in foreign lands. Under the new fundamentalist government, her articles are deemed indecent and subversive political propaganda.

Salma Hayek in Septembers of Shiraz. Review www.festivalinLA.com
 
“Septembers of Shiraz” is Salma Hayek’s best performance since “Frida.”  

 Oscar-nominee Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (“House of Sand and Fog”) is terrific. She plays Habibeh, who helps Farnez with housework and personal moral issues. Her son Morteza (Navid Navid) becomes the “Judas” of the story, and he betrays everyone, including his mother and the revolution.
 
The film was adapted to the screen by Yale graduate Hanna Weg. It is based on the best-selling novel by Iranian-born, New York-based writer Dalia Sofer.

Australian director Wayne Blair (“The Sapphires”) keeps the actors’ performances understated in “Septembers of Shiraz” to contrast with the dominant images of torture and repression.

Salma Hayek in “Septembers of Shiraz.

Mark Isham’s music is subtle and enhances the actors’ emotions from the outset. With just a few musical notes, the dramatic momentum carries through the entire story.

 

The film accurately reconstructs the 1970s in Iran and showcases exceptional production values. Septembers of Shiraz was filmed in Bulgaria, where a skilled team produced remarkable work.

 

In 2012, Hollywood took on the Iranian conflict through CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), who helped rescue U.S. diplomats from Tehran in “Argo.” This Oscar® winner stirred controversy over the portrayal of nationalities and backgrounds.

 

It is nearly impossible to have a cast entirely from the region in international productions. Regardless of their backgrounds, all the actors are genuine and honor the real individuals they portray.

 

“Septembers of Shiraz” feels authentic. Though it may be visually predictable, it portrays a family’s struggle as they provide jobs and a brighter future in Iran before the revolution.

 

During the revolution, many were persecuted and killed; the film reveals that people from different classes struggled to coexist. They betrayed their own, reminding us that the world is rife with ingratitude.

 

The fundamentalists in Iran refer to each other as “brothers,” even as they torture and kill one another.

“Septembers of Shiraz” is dedicated to all the families who have endured persecution. It is remarkable, and it is essential viewing that restores human dignity.


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