Not surprisingly
Arash T. Riahi's film was selected as Austria's
2010 Oscar® contender for the Best Foreign Language Film.
Several stories develop separately but interact with one another in Riahi's
For a Moment, Freedom. The main story is about two children, aged 5 ½
and 6 ½ , who are being smuggled out of Iran by two young men in their 20's;
their aim is to get the children to their parents in Austria. One of the other
stories is about a family where the man is involved in politics; he has to flee
to Turkey with his wife and child, and there he is forced to go through a
bureaucratic nightmare in order to prove that he was being persecuted in Iran
because of his political opinions. The third story is about a friendship between
two men: an old man who fled Iran because of his support for an Iranian
opposition group and who befriends a young Iraqi-Kurdish English teacher. The
two develop a tragic-comic father/son like relationship that contains the
majority of the comic elements in this movie ...
For a Moment, Freedom
is Arash T. Riahi first fiction feature. A native of Iran (born in 1972) he has
been living in Vienna since 1982. After studying art and cinema, he started
working for the Austrian national broadcaster ORF in 1995 as a freelance
journalist, scriptwriter and director. He founded the production company
Golden Girls Filmproduction in 1998. Before making this first feature film,
he had essentially worked on animated films, adverts, and music videos as well
as in a number of short documentaries he directed including The Souvenirs of
Mr. X, and Exile Family Movie. The latter experience was to allow him
to collect testimonies from various exiled Iranian families, including his own,
which eventually served as an authentic input into the script of his first
feature length movie drama.
I had the opportunity to
interview Mr.
Arash T. Riahi and one of his actors, Mrs.
Behi Djanati Atai (daughter of famous playwright, poet Iraj Jannatie-Ataie)
who plays the wife of one of the political refugees in this story.
Darius KADIVAR (DK): François Truffaut, the great film critic and director, once
said: "There are films that make you love life and then there are others ...". Do
you share that assessment ?
Arash T.
Riahi (ATR):Definitely yes. And I must say I love life very much myself! (Laughs) ...
That is why I personally prefer to promote life in my films. I want to make
people laugh and cry as well as allow them feel life in all it's diversity. I
like to create at least a few moments which have a special meaning to some
people out there. I also see my humanistic films as a weapon against unsocial
societies or dictatorships which threaten free life.
Behi
Djanati Ataï (BDA):Isn't this ultimately what cinema is all about and males it such a successful
medum ? There are films for all kinds of people, and it really doesn't matter if
they are masterpieces or not. But if one film, one day, touches be it only one
person's heart, and gives this heart the courage and strength to carry on, then
it means we achieved our aim. This has been going on since the very dawn of
filmmaking. Truffaut's words can be understood in many ways, and I think one
maybe that there is a story for everybody, a film for everybody ...
DK: What
were the films you grew up with as a child but also later on as a film student
and now director ? Are there any which influenced you particularly in your work
or shaped you be it creatively, emotionally, or visually ?
ATR:
When I was a child in Iran, most of the films that were shown there were
Kurosawa's movies and politically motivated or propaganda movies from the former
Soviet Union or the former communist eastern block countries. I guess the main
reason for that was that there were no women present in these films ! ... So
the films weren't truly censored by the Islamic regime. Anyway Kurosawa is great
and some of the politically motivated/propaganda films also happened to be great
anti-war movies which I have never had to opportunity to ever see again since.
When we moved to Europe I started to watch all the classics movies I could find
as well as some mediocre films which were shown on tv. Then one day when I was
16 I accidentally saw Francesco Rosi movie
"Three Brothers".
That was the very first "serious" arthouse movie that I've saw and from that day
my interest for what I consider as being quality films started. I remember that
the first film that truly made me cry was
"La notte"
by Antonioni (Note: Asghar Farhadi
made a remake under the title
"About Elly"
). I also began to collect films and record them from tv and now I find myself
with a huge collection of more than 5000 films at home ... (Laughs). I know
that I will never have the time to watch them all but it's a good feeling to be
surrounded by so many films and have them available at any time. There are a lot
of directors and movies that I admire, especially those who are trying to push
the bounderies of filmmaking. Maybe that's the reason why amongst my favourite
directors you will find Jean Luc Godard, Lars von Trier and John Cassavates but
also Woody Allen.
DK:
This is your first
major breakthrough in film. A first movie is often a very personal one. What
motivated your choice for this particular story ? Are there elements which echo
your own personal or family experiences ?
ATR: I
think it's always good when your first film is about a subject which you are
very close to and you know a lot about. In my case that was the situation of
having to leave my country because of political reasons and having to live in
exile instead of with my beloved relatives. I experienced this when I was 9
years old when I had to flee out of Iran with my parents. My last documentary Â"
Exile Family Movie Â" was about the life of my family in the last 15 years caught
between Europe and the USA. The work on that film helped me understand the inner
feelings of refugees during their lives in exile. For my first feature length
film
For a Moment, Freedom,I wanted to make a film
that takes place in between the countries of departure and arrival of the
refugees in question. I wanted to show what people go through when they are
forced to leave their country and home in order to come to Europe in a bid for
freedom. That way the audience can clearly see that these refugees definitively
had no other choice but to seek assylum.
DK:
Making this film must have been quite a challenge given the numerous outdoor
scenes shot in the mountains and drastic climate ... How did the cast and crew
cope with these difficulties ? Were there any scenes shot in Studio ?
ATR: The
shooting was really very difficult. Firstly because of the fact that we shot in
remote Turkish regions without any film-infrastructure at hand and secondly
because of the difficult climate and landscape. When you write a screenplay it's
easy to imagine that the children will be sitting on horseback and climbing
snowy montains but then you have to bring this short lines you wrote to life and
make it look real. This is something that you tend to underestimate sometimes.
And some things were simply not possible to shoot on location like the interiors
such as the hotel rooms. These sets were built in an Austrian studio.
DK: You
also chose to work equally with confirmed actors like Behi, but also non
professionals particularly with two child stars. How did both groups cope ? Did
you have to modify anything in your directing approach particularly when having
to choose between what was written in the script and what you could truly print
on film when improvising with your novice actors ?
ATR: We
spent over a year and a half casting for the film in Berlin and then in
Stockholm,and later on in London, Paris, Vienna, and then again in Leipzig and
Frankfurt. Things were made more difficult because of our own demands: we wanted
Iranian actors who spoke Farsi (Persian) without any accent. Also, some of them
had to be in their early 20's, and of course above all they had to be good
actors. In addition to that, we needed three children aged between five and
seven, who also spoke Farsi without any accent. But more importantly, these
actors and crew had to be willing to work on a film which criticises the regime
of their home country Iran. That automatically forced us to excluded anyone who
wanted to go back to Iran. In the end we had a mix of professional and first
time actors working on the film. Some of the actors changed their names for
security reasons. However the real challenge was to direct them in such a way
that they appear as equally important to the audience. During the shooting I had
to pay careful attention to everyone so that no actor felt left alone or
ignored. This was particularly difficult in the scenes with the children but
also the non professional first time actors, because they needed permanent
attention in order to encourage their self confidence. I talked a lot with the
actors about their character's motivation and the interesting thing was that all
of the actors, professional or not, felt very close to the film's topic. Some
were refugees themselves or the children of refugee or immigrant parents. So the
film's theme was already a part of all our lives and we all saw it as a
manifesto of resistance and a tribute to the struggle of millions of refugees
around the world. This helped a lot to keep everything coherently together
although I have to admit we also had some very tough times.
BDA: Well
each actor has his or her own way of working on a given character. Even when
you have a similar training, you ultimately do it your own way, because each
person is different and has different personal and professional experiences. My
life has been rich with emotions and feelings; my own past is full of contrasted
visions. So why not use them? I'm belong to the school that explores emotional
interiority; I'm always searching inside myself, I try to dig in my memory and
experiences, so as to channel these emotions towards a more universal statement
on mankind in general. If by your question you mean "If as an actress who also
happens to be Iranian did I share some similar experiences as my character or
was inspired by people close to me or in my entourage with the same kind of
experience ?", the answer is definitively yes.
DK: What
kind of director is Arash ? Does he allow actors to improvise or on the contrary
expects you to work within the boundaries of his script and therefore
imagination ?
BDA:
Arash is a very bright and creative director. He adapts his way of working to
each actor. Before shooting, we made read the script together several times, we
talked about the character and on the way I see her. Whilst shooting, we had the
freedom to improvise a lot. He allowed me play the character as I felt her; he
listened to all my suggestions. There is even one scene in the movie which is
totally improvised and very different from the original one in the script.
DK:
Arash your film was shot partly on the frontier that separates Turkey from Iran
and where many refugees are said to cross the boarder every day. Having left
Iran for more than 30 years now, was it an emotional experience to be so close
to your home country and yet not really able to cross the border ?
ATR: Oh
yes absolutely !... Actually when I was on location on the Turkish border city
of Van, doing my research for the movie , I happened to be only two hours away
by car from my own homeland. But I must admit that even if I have an enormous
desire to go back one day to see my relatives and the places of my childhood ...
I still prefer to live in a free and democratic country in Europe rather than in
a country where the government doesn't even know how to spell the word "human
rights"...
ATR: I'm
sorry but this is all fake propaganda created by the right wing and conservative
forces in Europe. Actually the confirmed numbers of the refugees that enter
Europe represents only 1% of the refugee population that exist in the world. The
majority of the worlds refugees are dispatched between countries like Pakistan,
Iran or some very some poor African countries. Compared to that, helping one
percent of the world refugees is something that prosperous countries in Europe
or the Western democracies can afford. But unfortunately their governments
prefer to spend millions of Euros or dollars building fences, training security
or building armies and weapons to hold back these refugees.
One of
the reasons for that is that most of the European governments have business
relationships with the dictators which run the countries these refugees are
fleeing. For example the German company Siemens and the Finnish company Nokia
provide the Islamic Republic of Iran with the most modern communication systems
that allow monitoring phonecalls, the internet and other electronical
communication used by Iranian people back home. With these external support the
regime in Iran manages to maintain a high level of oppression. ( See
Amnesty International 2009 Report on Iran's disastrous Human Rights Record )
Cases
of Human Rights Violations in Iran in recent years:
·
Mansour Osanloo Bus Union Leader testifies on his Torture by
Islamic Republic's Agents. He was imprisoned several times from 2005 to 2008.
Osanloo is currently held in the notoriously infamous
Evin Prison,
serving a five-year prison sentence.
Video
Here
·CBS reports
Canadian Photographer
Zahra Kazemi
found dead in mysterious circumstance. Kazemi's son demands justice on this case
to this day. Doctor Shahram Azam who examined the body testifies. Video
Here
·Neda Agha
Sultan & many others killed by Iran's Basij & Militia forces post election
Video
Here
DK: Even
if your film tackles serious issues, you still tried to find a balance between
comedy and drama. Was this intentional ?
ATR: For me the proximity between
tragic and funny situations is extremely important. I consider humour as the
best survival technique ever invented. If you don't keep at least a minimum of
your humour when you are in such extreme situations as these refugees have been,
you can only be destroyed by the brutality of your own situation. This is what
happens to one of the characters in the film and I have known many other people
in similar situations in real life. After all, there isn't a great deal more you
can hold on to except humor.
DK:
Until quite recently, most Iranian films avoided to address political issues
directly. Even film maestros like Abbas Kiarostami or Makhmalbaf never truly
challenged the Iranian regime on such questions like human rights ( although
both
particularly Makhmalbaf have been very vocal in regard to the recent events in
Iran). Your film was made prior to the Post Election Protests and yet you
boldly chose to denounce the "totalitarian" nature of the regime which appears
in key scenes of the movie. You particularly denounce Iran's current Secret
Services the VEVAK (which has since replaced the Shah's equally notorious SAVAK)
which does not hesitate to kidnap refugees and even use torture to exhort
confessions from their victims. Were these scenes based on specific testimonies
you were able to collect from real victims ?
ATR: I
was able to spend a lot of years researching on this subject and during my time
in Turkey I had a lot of interviews with real refugees, who told me details
about the activities of the Iranian secret police. People are beaten up,
sometimes they disappear and are never found again orwhen they do they end up in
an Iranian prison. There are also
several lists on the internet with the names of the people they have been
killed outside Iran. I had the feeling that these criminal activities
finally should be denounced. I also think that we, the Iranian Exile filmmakers
have the duty to make films about Iran, which the Iranian directors do not do
either because they are part of the system or cannot do because they fear for
their life or risk losing their work permit in Iran.
DK: On a
different note but nevertheless related to this conversation, I read
in an interview you gave to the French Magazine "Paris Match" in which you
seemed to have even hinted to the probability of an upheaval if the election
results led to the re-election of Ahmadinejad. The events that followed proved
that you were right. What was your reaction to the recent protests that took
place in Iran ?
ATR: It
was very exciting and for the first time I had real hope for changes in Iran.
Although it seems that the government was able to suppress the people again, we
should not forget that there is now a major fracture in Iranian society, which
did not exist prior to this election. The government has no legitimacy anymore,
even within most of the religious parts of the society. Given that two ( Rezaie
and Ahmadinejad) out of the four selected candidates ( Karroubi, Moussavi,
Rezaie and Ahmadinejad) accepted the absurd results of the elections denouncedso
vehemently by a large majority of the people, then you can imagine how betrayed
Iranian society must feel ? For me this is the beginning of their end, even
though it may still take years to get rid of the regime. The most dangerous
thing that can happen now is that one of the so called more liberal leaders
comes to power. That might sound absurd at first sight but I think that these
people who accepted the Velayate Fagih, the Islamic Rules of law for the past 30
years will only prolong the survival of this system much longer by only
delivering the people some superficial freedoms. There is nothing like a "light"
or "sugar free" democracy ! The only solution is a secular system of government.
Such a democratic system can then help all the participants in our civil society
in the making be it: the people, the politicians or the religious members of
society.
BDA:
Ever since the early days of Greek theater, artists have always been at the
forefront of critical thinking and took upon themselves to portray dramatic
characters and situations which could resonate with the real tragedies of their
times. Take Shakespeare and his critics of his time. Elizabethan Actors knew
even in those early days of British Theater what they were saying or suggesting
to the audience about the politics of their leaders. They took their
responsibilities much more seriously than they do today, and often by taking
personal risks to express themselves. Today I believe it is quite the same. But
the banalization of information in the world media be it when covering wars,
violence, or natural disasters ... in short death makes our job uneasy. It is
obvious that many artists do care about what is taking place in the rest of the
world, but how many of them who are lucky to be in the spotlight truly care
about anything more than their own career or self promotion ? We see now and
then people in the public eye who will graciously appear in the right place, the
right rally, the right event, and then vanished completely and join another
cause. That's why I feel that my position as an artist today is fragile and
uneasy. I am Iranian, I feel Iranian, and I try to do my duty as best as I can
towards my people and my country, but I certainly don't want to be here for the
show. I do not want to play a character when I dedicate myself to a just cause
even if I must admit that my job helps me to handle the press, but I don't want
to mix things, which is difficult. When a question on this particular film
appears, I try to answer in a way which highlights the recent tragic events in
Iran as we see them unfold today and not particularly attempt to draw attention
on my own persona.
DK: It
seems that after a long period of absence Iranian films are making a comeback
this year in Film Festivals like Venice for instance. However for the first time
it seems the Diaspora Films and Iranian National productions co-exist with such
films like Shirine Neshat's much expected
Women without Men, and
Hana Makhmalbaf's Green Days . Do you see an avenue for cooperation or
creative exchange between these two apparently separate cinemas ?
ATR: I
wish this would be possible but my impression so far is that the people who work
in Iran try to avoid any official connection with us because they are afraid of
the government. Only those who decide not to go back are different. But of
course there is a dialogue between the artists behind the scenes, when the
journalists and the cameras are not on. That's when they say what they really
think about the government and the regime.
BDA: I
really don't know. I didn't see any of these movies yet, but as you said for me
they belong to two entirely different worlds. Two different visions of Iran and
film art. I'm not the best person to answer this question. I suppose they have
always co-existed but the festivals were more interested in having the movies
"coming from Iran about Iran" rather than the ones made outside Iran by the
Diaspora. Maybe times are changing ? I don't know ... All I hope is that new and
challenging films will be done, while preserving the freedom of the directors
and the creative team involved in their making.
DK: It
seems that European Cinema and TV have been highlighting more and more Iranian
Diaspora actors in recent years. The success of such stand up comedians like
Omid Djalili or
Shappi Khorsandi in Great Britain,
Marjane Satrapi and Behi (Djanati Atai) in France,
Jasmine Tabatabai and
NavÃd Akhavan in Germany. I also recently discovered
Michael Niavarani (who plays a very small but significant role) who is
particularly popular in Austria and Germany for his Stand Up Comedy's and a
brilliant comedy
"Salami Aleikum". Are you encouraged by this thriving
Iranian Diaspora Arts Community in Europe ? Do you see this as an
opportunity for more cooperation between Iranian Actors and filmmakers across
Europe ?
ATR: I
like this movement very much. I think a new generation is now old enough to
articulate itself. It's the generation of the children of those who fled Iran 30
years ago. And the more of us are out there, the bigger our influence and voice
will be. And this voice is going to be heard by Iranians but also non Iranians
more and more ...
DK: Your Film has been
selected to represent Austria in Best Foreign Film Category at the 2010 Oscar ®
Race. Was this an unexpected and yet happy surprise ?
ATR:
Yes, of course you have always hope that your film becomes a good one but you
don't nessesarily expect your first film to be your counrty's choice for such an
event like the Oscars®. Of course I'm very happy about this and terribly
honored. But what makes me even more happy are two facts: one is that I think
it's a very good political statement from a country like Austria to choose such
a film to represent it, knowing that about 40% of the population is very right
wing and hostile to foreigners. And if I happen to be nominated or win something
it will help to promote the film and it's political message so that it can be
spread around as much as possible.
BDA: As
you're saying it, this was an unexpected and yet happy surprise! Let's cross
fingers. (Laughs)
ATR: I
try to but unfortunately I only get to see the films that win in major festivals
or find their way to the European cinemas. But every two years there is
the Exile Film Festival in Göteborg and I try to go there and get an
overview.
DK: Beyond the
Language barrier, do you see fundamental differences in style between films made
by Iranians in Hollywood and those made by Iranians like you in Europe ? Are you
tempted by a Hollywood Experience be it on a Big Production or Independent Film
?
ATR: I
can't really answer your question properly because I don't know enough of the
Iranian Hollywood filmmakers but I surely see differences between the Hollywood
way of filmmaking and the European way. Here in Europe films are more considered
as an Artform and less like a commercial consuming product which is often the
case with Hollywood productions. I see more similarities of our film industry
here in Europe with that of the American Independant productions as showcased
for instance at the
Sundance film festival.
All in all I think in Europe unlike in Hollywood, a film's artistic recognition,
critical claim, and or success does not just depend entirely on it's box office
results.
DK:
Finally what message or lesson would you like the public to receive after seeing
your movie ?
ATR: The
very notion of "Freedom" is for me a central part of human rights in general.
It's a given right and people should not have to fight for it ... Unfortunately
however people's freedom is often severely violated in many parts of the world.
As a filmmaker, I see it a duty, to fight against these violations through my
work by raising people's awareness. Therefore I hope that my film will help open
eyes, hearts and minds of the audience on the subject of Freedom and Human
Rights.
DK: It is always quite
exciting to discover a new and promising director and a talented cast. So I
would like to congratulate you both for this heartwarming movie and look forward
to your upcoming projects.
Arash T.
Riahi (ATR): Thank You Darius ...
Behi Djanati
Ataï (BDA): Thank you Darius, what else? I just hope that filmmakers
will continue to fight for ideas and freedom, fight against war and injustice.
A
Overview of Iranian Diaspora Cinema:
If in the aftermath of the
Islamic Revolution, the first generation of Iranian Diaspora filmmakers such as
Parviz Sayyad, whose film Ferestadeh
aka The Mission (starring Sayyad and Mary Apick, Houshang Touzie), had
more difficulties in drawing global attention to their works ( despite
acknowledgments at some selective and specific film festivals). This was
essentially due to the fact that the West in general was less informed on the
realities of the Middle East and Iran in particular. Our compatriots
were often reduced to stereotypes, as in the controversial film
Not Without My Daughter, based on the equally controversial and rather
biased book by
Betty Mahmoody. Ever since
September 11th however, and the so-called War on Terror
which set outAmerica's militarily involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan,
the entire Middle East has become the focal point of the international media,
very much like South East Asia was during the Vietnam War in the late 1960's and
early 1970's. In the same way that American Cinema was greatly influenced by the
Post-Vietnam generation as illustrated in such great films as Apocalypse Now,
The Dear Hunter
or Born on the Fourth of July, the harsh
realities of the Middle East conflicts in the past 9 years have strongly
influenced both Hollywood productions as well as European independent and
commercial cinema. Naturally
the second generation of Iranian Diaspora filmmakers/actors have contributed to
this new trend. To name a few:
Marjane Satrapi and her groundbreaking animated film Persepolis,
or Shohreh Aghdashloo for her Oscar nominated performance in "The House of Sand and Fog"
or more recently with her Emmy Award Performance in The House of Saddam
( although playing not an Iranian but the wife of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein)
prove if needed the box office potential and critical success of genuine
stories relative to the lives and challenges of the Iranian exiled community and
the ever growing success of Iranian Diaspora actors and directors in the film
community.
Ramin Serry's
Maryam(
hailed by prominent critic
Roger Ebert as
a "powerful, important and very moving picture") takes a bitter sweet look
at the life of anIranian-born
teenager living in suburban New Jersey thinks of herself as simply an American
until anti-Iranian sentiment erupts in her community after American hostages are
held in Iran.
Babak Shokrian's
America So Beautiful depicts the "lost generation" of Iranian expats in
the immediate aftermath of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 who are caught between
two worlds where they feel equally rejected and misunderstood. In recent years
Human Rights violations by the Islamic Republic have been boldly dealt with
particularly in two major Diaspora productions: Cyrus Nowrasteh
"The Stoning of Soraya M." Based on a true account by the late French
Iranian journalist and war correspondent
Fereidoune Sahebjam about the medieval treatment of a woman accused of
adultery in a remote villiage and stoned to death as a result. In Germany,
Iranian born actress Jasmin Tabatabai boldly tackles the predicament of
homosexuals in Iran (the existence and dramatic plight of which has been
outrageously denied by the current President Ahmadinejad ) but also that of the
Iranian expat community in Germany thanks to a breathtaking performance in
Angelina Maccarone
's Fremde Haut aka
Unvieled. American director of Kurdish heritage Jay Jonroy's
David and Laylaisa Love Story between a Kurdish Expatriate and
a Jewish American in NY which humorously challenges the difficulties of
overcoming religious and racial prejudice in both communities. Jonroy's
cinematography and humerous eye reminds us of some of Woody Allen's first movies
and enhanced by the talented presence of a fresh new cast such as Iranian
American actress
Shiva Rose McDermott ( daughter of Iranian TV Showman Parviz Gharibafshar)
and co-star
David Moscow in a not so unlikely love story set in Post September 11th
New York. Last Summer,
Iranian artist Shirin Neshat
picked up the Silver Lion for best director at this year's Venice Film Festival.
Best known for her photographic and video art, Neshat was awarded the prize for
Women Without Men, a film about four women living through Iran's
turbulent years amidst the 1953 coup that toppled the nationalist government of
Dr. Mohamed Mossadegh.
It is
therefore interesting to notice that an ever more outspoken generation of
Iranian Diaspora filmmakers are emerging in the competitive international film
community ...
Interview with actress
Golshifteh Farahani on French TV about her latest film
"About Elly" and her views on Iranian Society and the difficulties of making
an outspoken film in Iran.
Young men and women who are adamant to boldly bring to the screen, their own
often complex past within a historical, political or cultural context. This is
all the more remarkable that they meet the challenge without the fear of
ridicule nor any self imposed censorship in denouncing the social or
psychological taboos faced by their community and generation. Their
outspokenness also refreshingly contrasts with the films of their fellow
colleagues back home, who due to absurd levels of state imposed censorship tend
to take a more "experimental" approach to filmmaking which often boils down to
badly imitated "Ã la Kiarostami" or "Ã la Makhmalbaf" metaphors
(alas often without the same brio) when faced with issues that are deemed too
"subversive" to be submitted bluntly to the Iranian government's censors. Bahman
Ghobadi's Latest film
Nobody Knows About the Persian Cats
two stars of which have recently seeked asylum in Britain ) about the
difficulties of Iranian "underground" musicians working in the Islamic Republic
is another sad evidence of how Iran's cultural censors discourage any creative
form of expression. Not surprisingly Ghobadi's film, which was awarded at Cannes
this year, has not been authorized to screen in Iran.
For a
Moment, Freedom
was co-produced and distributed with the help of the French movie company
Les Films du Losanges.
Recommended Book:
A new and controversial bookhas been recently published in French
about the history of the infamous Secret Services of the Islamic Republic. The
author is Yves Bonnet the former Head of the DST the French Secret Services. It
is not yet available in English or Persian but can be purchased on amazon.fr in
it's original French publication:
