Middle Eastern Cinema
This class is taught by Naghmeh Samini, who taught the class on Shahnameh as well. I just love her! She is so sweet, and I am so glad I am taking an in-person class with her, as it seems as though she is performing whenever she lectures. She cares so much about all of her students, and it is so obvious that she is incredibly passionate about what she does. Naghmeh is also a critically acclaimed playwright herself, and getting her personal stories injected into the lectures makes them all a joy to attend. As she was talking about the Iraq-Iran war, she described that her neighbors house was bombed, and she wondered why her's had not been bombed instead. This stood out to me. She also talked about censorship, and the Iranian ministry of culture (or "unculture," as she jokingly said) not allowing her projects to move forward. I am also so glad that we have watched the films we have watched, as it shows Iranian culture in a way that I don't believe a history class would. I am surprised at the themes in some of the films (e.g., addiction), and I think this is the point. The movies below are some of my favorites!