Tehran: Another Side
Encyclopedia
Tehran: Another Side is a documentary film
produced and directed by Sam Ali Kashani
. The film is Kashani's directorial debut.
families that ultimately settled in California
, Sam’s family came to the United States
after the Iranian Revolution
in 1979. Sam, however, was thoroughly American, leading a lifestyle typical of any young Californian. Therefore, his perspective of Iran was much like most Americans, colored by skewed media portrayals of Islamic fundamentalism and images of socio-civic disarray. Yet, the Tehran
he observed upon his arrival was anything but what he had seen on the television: the bustling, modern city squares; the influence of Western culture on the adolescents and young professionals, and the vibrant calls for social reform.
While walking the streets of Tehran and commingling with its everyday citizens, Sam brings to the screen faces and stories ignored by the BBC
and CNN
, freely discussing politics with Iranian college students, taking in the city’s electric night life, and absorbing Tehran’s rich and celebrated history. In his personal quest for understanding, Sam also travel’s through upper Tehran where he makes friends and challenges simplistic notions about America and Americans, visits his ancestors’ burial sites, and engages the growing underground hip-hop scene sweeping through the city.
and Bahram Nouraei, both of whom can be seen in the film. Bahram is the subject of Kashani's most recent documentary film, BAHRAM An Iranian Rapper, an in-depth look into the trials and tribulations faced by hip-hop artists in Iran.
Tehran: Another Side is one of the first films to cover Iranian Hip-Hop, and following its release, Sam Ali Kashani released another short documentary entitled "The Current State of Persian Hip-Hop", which features British-Iranian rapper Reveal
discussing the history and status of this music. This film can be seen in its entirety on YouTube
.
of Holland in October 2008. Since then it has participated in several international film festivals, including the Iranian Film Festival of San Francisco 2009, as well as being the opening movie at the Noor Film Festival in Los Angeles
, in May 2009.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced and directed by Sam Ali Kashani
Sam Ali Kashani
Sam Ali Kashani is an Iranian-American filmmaker, documentarian, and producer. He is the director and producer of several documentary films primarily focused on contemporary Iranian society and culture, including Tehran: Another Side and BAHRAM An Iranian Rapper...
. The film is Kashani's directorial debut.
History
Like the majority of Iranian-AmericanIranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
families that ultimately settled in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Sam’s family came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
in 1979. Sam, however, was thoroughly American, leading a lifestyle typical of any young Californian. Therefore, his perspective of Iran was much like most Americans, colored by skewed media portrayals of Islamic fundamentalism and images of socio-civic disarray. Yet, the Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
he observed upon his arrival was anything but what he had seen on the television: the bustling, modern city squares; the influence of Western culture on the adolescents and young professionals, and the vibrant calls for social reform.
While walking the streets of Tehran and commingling with its everyday citizens, Sam brings to the screen faces and stories ignored by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, freely discussing politics with Iranian college students, taking in the city’s electric night life, and absorbing Tehran’s rich and celebrated history. In his personal quest for understanding, Sam also travel’s through upper Tehran where he makes friends and challenges simplistic notions about America and Americans, visits his ancestors’ burial sites, and engages the growing underground hip-hop scene sweeping through the city.
Iranian Hip-Hop
During the production of Tehran: Another Side, Kashani discovered the rapidly-growing cultural phenomenon known as Persian Hip Hop currently taking place in Tehran. Having grown up in the United States this concept was a bit strange to Sam, at first. Yet with time, he developed a fascination and appreciation for this socio-cultural movement which many young Iranian artists have used to express the issues of daily life in Iran. As a result, Sam would eventually meet two of the most well-known artists and pioneers of Iranian Hip-Hop, HichkasHichkas
Soroush Lashkary better known by his stage name Hichkas is an Iranian rapper based in Tehran....
and Bahram Nouraei, both of whom can be seen in the film. Bahram is the subject of Kashani's most recent documentary film, BAHRAM An Iranian Rapper, an in-depth look into the trials and tribulations faced by hip-hop artists in Iran.
Tehran: Another Side is one of the first films to cover Iranian Hip-Hop, and following its release, Sam Ali Kashani released another short documentary entitled "The Current State of Persian Hip-Hop", which features British-Iranian rapper Reveal
Reveal
Reveal or Revealed may refer to:* Reveal , a type of joint* Revealed..., a UK TV news programme for teenagers* Revealed with Jules Asner, an American biography TV series* The Revealed, an Internet documentary project about gorillas...
discussing the history and status of this music. This film can be seen in its entirety on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Reception
Tehran: Another Side premiered at the Iranian Film FestivalIranian Film Festival
The Iranian Film Festival is a film festival held annually in the Netherlands. Until now, the festival has taken place in Utrecht , Rotterdam , and in 2009 the festival will take place in filmtheatre De Fabriek in Zaandam....
of Holland in October 2008. Since then it has participated in several international film festivals, including the Iranian Film Festival of San Francisco 2009, as well as being the opening movie at the Noor Film Festival in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, in May 2009.