Fereydoun Rahnema

Who is Fereydoun Rahnema?

Fereydoun Rahnema was an Iranian film director and poet. He is most known for his short film, Takht-e Jamshid, 1960 and his feature film, Siavash dar Takht-e Jamshid in 1965. Although none of his films saw a theatrical release, they were highly influential within the Iranian New Wave movement. He also served as the director of Iran Zamin from 1966 to 1975.

Rahnema studied film in Paris, France. He began work on Siavash dar Takht-e Jamshid with funding from a number of acquaintances. Shot in studio and on location in the ruins of Persepolis, the film is based on Ferdowsi's poetic epic Shahnameh. It tells the story of Crown Prince Siâvash who leaves his homeland in order to avoid dishonoring his father Shah Kay Kāvus. He marries the daughter of the local king Afrasiab, but is betrayed and murdered. The film is notable for its then-uncommon temporal experimentation with footage of tourists trekking through the ruins of Persepolis interspersed with the older setting.