Exclusive Pre-Broadcast Screening and Discussion of: ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING
Directed by Marjan Tehrani (US/Iran, 2008, 63 min,
Color, DigiBeta, English/Farsi, Subtitled)
Alex and Heather on their wedding night in Chaluse. Self-portrait
March 4, 7:30 PM
Cantor Film Center, New York University, 36 East 8th Street, New York City
Free and Open to the Public
Presented
by CinemaEast Film Series Co-sponsored by
Women Make Movies
ARUSI PERSIAN
WEDDING chronicles Tehrani's brother's journey to Iran, their
father's birthplace, as he travels with his American wife to hold a
traditional Persian wedding ceremony and explore his lost heritage. Weaving
the young couple's personal story with historical footage that illuminates
the complex history of America's relationship with Iran, ARUSI
PERSIAN WEDDING goes behind the curtain of political tension to
offer a rare glimpse of both modern and traditional Iran.
Heather in front of wall with Farsi graffi
Born in America and raised by
their Iranian father and American Jewish mother, Tehrani and her brother,
Alex, grew up during the Iranian Islamic Revolution, when the Shah was
expelled and anti-American sentiment exploded, resulting in the infamous
hostage crisis of 1979 and setting in motion decades of miscommunication,
threats and vitriol between the American and Iranian governments. With a
foot in each culture, Marjan and Alex grew up feeling alienated from both
cultures, not really at home in either. Through this very personal story,
ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING explores the complex and troubled
relationship between America, the country of Marjan and Alex's birth, and
Iran, the country of their heritage.
ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING
will have its broadcast premiere on Tuesday, March 17, 2009, at 10 PM (check
local listings) as part of the PBS series Independent Lens, hosted by Terrence
Howard.
Followed by a discussion with director Marjan Tehrani and moderated by
Debbie
Zimmerman (Executive Director, Women Make Movies).
Marjan Tehrani
is an independent director and producer from Berkeley,
California. She founded the production company Tru Films and
has since directed and produced Her Israel, which
premiered on the Sundance Channel in 2004, and ARUSI
PERSIAN WEDDING. In addition, she is currently
producing P Star's Redemption, a feature
documentary that follows a 13-year-old female rap star
phenomenon as she fulfills her father's deferred dreams of
making it in the music business. Beyond her independent
work, Tehrani has produced several original series for
television, including dLIFE TV for CNBC and the
Emmy®-nominated After School for PBS, which
featured celebrity alumni such as Harvey Keitel and Tim
Robbins returning to their urban high schools as role
models. Through Tru Films, Tehrani is dedicated to promoting
dialogue between cultures, sharing the intricate and subtle
aspects of identity, and capturing the transformative
moments of the human experience.
