PERSIAN SECRETS

Non-profit Organization

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Narges Aqamiri, Photographer & Visual Artist

As for me, photography is a means of self analysis and dreaming. I mostly shoot self-portrait cause to me It’s the most obvious way to photograph my emotion and feelings. The concept of self-portraiture is related to the concept of self-consciousness. I can feel a deep sense of connection and security through self-portraiture and that’s the most important reason why I mostly photograph myself.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a strong need to create and I feel lucky that I have finally found my own form of expression in photography.

Follow Narges @nargesaqamiri

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Hojjat Hamidi, Wherever I haven’t been

Hojjat was born on 1987 in Ardabil, Iran. He works as a firefighter but 4 years ago, he started taking photos with his cellphone and he discovered that photography is opening a window to the new world. To him photos are not just captured moments but are lessons and experiences.

He has learned to go out of his way just to take photos: “I went to the places that I would have never gone if it was not for photography. I have been a part of peoples joys and sorrows and it made me a better person.”

On December 2018, Apple published a video from a set of Hojjat’s photographs on their official Instagram account.

Follow Hojjat on Instagram @hojjathamidi

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Aryan Arian Was born in Kerman, Iran to a religious and working-class family. At the age of seven my dad, who was a driver for Kerman foundry, lost his life in accident. He abjured religion at the age of seventeen and at the same time he took an interest in writing and photography and cinema and he was constantly writing short and long stories and poems to overcome my solitude; it was also due to his profound interest in art.

After graduation from high school, he was admitted into the film program of Cinema and Theater faculty and moved to Tehran and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in directing films from the said institute.

Follow Aryan on Instagram @arianmtl or find out more on her official website.

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Taravat Khalili, Filmmaker

Taravat Khalili is an experimental filmmaker. She has studied Media Arts at Sheridan College, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from York University.

Her films have been awarded and acknowledged nationally and internationally. Some of these include, 1st and 2nd prize MaGa Macon Film Festival, 1st prize Viva Doc International, 2nd Prize Tirgan Film Festival, honorable mention twice at CineSiege and official selection by HotDocs, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Pleasure Dome, Images Film Festival and Cinematheque Winnipeg.

Follow Taravat on Instagram @ttaravatt or explore more films here.

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Saye Sohrabi, Artist Painter

An Iranian painter living in Belgium. She studied Fine Arts during secondary school and Carpet Designing at university in Iran. She moved to Belgium in 2008 to freely express her art in a liberal country.

“I try to portrait women issues and manifest my concerns for women rights in hope for an equal society. In the other word, I am using my brushes, paint tubes an canvases as a weapon to fight against this systematic inequality toward women of my country.”

“As an immigrant painter, I signify my fears, hopes, nightmares and dreams to express my feeling of alienation in a modern liberal society. I try to convey these feelings which could be mutual among thousands and thousands.”

Follow Saye on Instagram @saye.sohrabi

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Kourosh Sotoodeh, Fashion Beauty Photographer

Iranian born Fashion Beauty Photographer Director Kourosh Sotoodeh graduated with a BA in industrial design and subsequently started his career in 1998.

In 2009 Kourosh began working full-time as a fashion photographer in Dubai, where he honed in his craft and garnered the attention and respect of clients and creative directors alike.

It was in 2015 when he decided to reach the pinnacle of the photography world by relocating to New York City to further advance his career.

Kourosh travels the US bi-coastally for assignments and also works in Europe as well as Istanbul and Dubai where he is internationally represented.

Follow Kourosh on Instagram @kouroshsotoodeh or find out more on his official website.

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Golnaz Fathi, Language, Form & Composition

A trained calligrapher, Fathi has the ability to skillfully transform known language into form and composition. Having discovered calligraphy while studying graphic design at Tehran’s Azad University, she later left to train at the Calligraphy Association of Iran for six years. As a result, Fathi was the first woman to win an award for Ketabat, a distinct genre of calligraphy. She soon tired of the discipline’s rules and regulations and thus created a new form of expression in her paintings: an imaginary language deeply rooted in Persian tradition while simultaneously hinting at a social renaissance. Her paintings carry traces of meaning that have no known coded alphabet. The strength of her work stems from the drive to express emotions that cannot be pinned down into words; Fathi’s works succeed where language fails.

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Shiva Noroozi, Painter

Shiva was born in Shahrood, Iran in 1980. She graduated with a BA from Tehran art university in 2004 and a MA from Shahed university in 2008. Her artworks have been exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions in Iran and abroad since 2005.

Portraits and human figures are the main subject in her paintings and you can see them in her different series of her works. In her recent works she depicts simplicity and silence in an emotional atmosphere. She tries to enter her eastern soul to the western language of the paintings. Shiva is also a translator of art books and has published 4 translated books.

Follow Shiva on Instagram @shiva_noroozi_

Explore more: https://persiansecrets.com

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Mandana Karimi, Actress/Model

Manizhe Karimi (better known by her stage name Mandana Karimi), was born in Tehran, Iran. Mandana is actress and model based in India.

After working on several successful modeling projects around the world, she appeared as a lead actress in the Bollywood film, Bhaag Johnny. She was also the second runner up in the popular reality TV show, Bigg Boss 9.

Mandana has done TV commercials with Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor.

Follow Mandana on Instagram @mandanakarimi or find out more about her on Twitter @manizhe

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Mehdi Rahmani

Director/Producer/Writer

Mehdi Rahmani (born on February 1979 in Isfahan) is an Iranian producer, director and screenwriter. He’s graduated in Filming from Iran Broadcasting University.

After the “Other” and “Hidden”, the movie “Snow” is the third movie directed by Mehdi Rahmani, which has been publicly released in the Iranian film industry.

He was the winner of Crystal Simorgh for the best trailer in Fajr Film Festival. “Other” was also nominated for the Best film Crystal Simorgh.

Find out more about Mehdi on Instagram @mehdi_rahmani

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Melieka Fathi, Choreographer

Melieka Fathi is a young Iranian-American choreographer, instructor, and performer of Persian, Sufi, and Middle Eastern/Silk Road dance. As the American-born daughter of Iranian immigrants, she discovered a deep passion for embracing her cultural identity through the dance, music, poetry, and language of her parent’s homeland. She began her artistic journey at a very early age; receiving formal training in Persian dance under masters Niosha Nafei and Shahrzad Khorsandi in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her personal dance style is what she refers to as a fusion of her background and her connection to dance and culture.

Melieka sees her passion as not only an expression of art, but a powerful catalyst for Cross-Cultural and Transformative communication as well. As an Iranian-American individual and most importantly as a member of the youth generation, Melieka strives to inform and expand upon her cultural identity and the importance of preserving the Iranian heritage, especially here in the U.S.

In addition to her work in the arts, Melieka is currently an undergraduate student at Chapman University in Southern California.

Follow Melieka on Instagram: @meliekafathi_dance

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Milad Nami, Photographer

Milad was born in Tehran, Iran. He graduated from Tehran University in Graphic Design In 2006.

He started his professional career in photography and he established his photographic studio named PAPAION.

He is working with people with developmental disabilities for the first time in Iran. He specializes in photography of children and families affected by autism.

He does whatever it takes to get the best pictures possible. He strives to reveal the true inner beauty of each person he photographs.

Follow Milad on Instagram @papion_art_photo

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Alexander Kwanje, Theatre Actor/Director/Producer

Alexander Kwanje (born to a Cameroonian father and an Iranian mother) – has lived the majority of his life in Iran. He has studied media and film production at Art University.

He has produced his own movies in Iran and here, also worked under Mr. Kiarostami’s direct supervision. Ever since him moving to the United States, he has pursued his passion in media and directed an educational, entertaining series about the Iranian Artist population in the DMV area.

He is also the first Iranian actor to perform on Broadway in midtown Theater Festival.

Awards and Honors

Certificate of Honor for the best Short film produced by Student producers

Awarded as the Best Male Actor in the Spoleto Theatre in Italy/ Festival Di Spoleto

Award of the Best Script writing from the Short film Association of Czech Republic

Award of the Best Director in the Student Production Competition of Melbourne

Award of the Best Actor in midtown festival in Broadway

Follow Alexander on Instagram @kwanje_alexander

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Melissa Shoshahi, Stand-up Comedian/Actress/Writer

Melissa Shoshahi is an Iranian-American stand-up comedian, actress and writer. She tours all over the country and world, bringing her witty personality to the stage and knows no limits when it comes to comedy - culture, politics, race and gender are all fair game. Famous for her spot-on Kim Kardashian impression, Shoshahi originally hails from Seattle, Washington and has been doing stand-up comedy for 9 years. She has been featured on Laughs on FOX, All Def Digital, Fusion TV, Nickelodeon and has acted in a myriad of independent films. She can currently be seen touring with comedian Max Amini and K-Von, to name a few. Shoshahi has accumulated millions of views online with sketches and stand-up clips that have gone viral. She also uses her platform to raise awareness about epilepsy.

Follow Melissa on Instagram @melshoshahi and check it out her YouTube channel.

For Tour Schedule and more info: www.melcomedy.com

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Ramona Amiri

Miss world Canada

Ramona Rina Amiri is an Canadian beauty queen and model who won Miss World Canada 2005 and went on to represent her country at the 2005 Miss World Pageant in Sanya, China. She was the only contestant to rank top 5 in both the swimsuit competition and the talent competition. Ramona also placed Top12 in the semi-finals.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Ramona attended College Charlemagne, a french private high school, and subsequently began her studies at the University of British Columbia. She graduated with honors with a Degree in Biology at the age of 20.

Ramona’s father is of Assyrian decent and her mother is of Persian descent. She also has a Sister. She speaks English, French, Farsi and Assyrian and some Spanish.

Her favorite motto is: “Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one’s watching” which was borrowed from the famous Persian poet Rumi. Since winning the title of Miss World Canada, Ramona has traveled all around to raise awareness for special causes. Ramona is an avid fundraiser, and at the Miss World Canada pageant, she was one of the top fundraisers.

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Arbi Movsesian

A Walk To The Paradise City

Have you ever felt that you are walking in paradise? I must be honest, I have such an opportunity in 2012 to be in one of the must artistic cities in the world, Vienna, Austria.

The city by itself inspires me every single moment. The architecture, The pavement of the Streets, Underground transportation, old buildings, Museums, and etc.…  I could walk for hours and hours and still be amazed by how beautiful that city was. I simply grabbed my camera every day and I started walking from a spot and I took photos. I photographedChurches, buildings, sculptures, palaces, details on the walls, colorful houses, Danube lake, and whatever catches my eyes in such an artistic way.

I took 6000 pictures with my digital camera and couple of hundred photos with my old film camera in 5 months time period.

I was in love with Vienna and still want to go there, I am sure I can take another 6000 soulful photos of a city which built in such a powerful believe and love.

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Abjee is Persian slang for sister and that’s just what they are “The Abjeez”, the sisters Melody & Safoura Safavi. Although they started writing songs in the late 90s they didn’t form their band until 2005. The intention of their work has always been to be an inspiring alternative force in the Persian pop music/culture.

When the sisters started their band for more than 10 years ago, Iran had been “closed” to western culture for almost 30 years and the Persian pop music had become somehow stagnant. Melody & Safoura who were raised in Sweden and had got the chance to nourish their creativity in freedom wanted to make a change in this matter and they did!

Abjeez recorded the first album “Hame” (Everyone) and released it in 2006. The idea with the album was to try to compose songs in different genres, with Persian lyrics, to inspire Iranian youth and artists to try out different music styles when composing new music. The styles that immediately got best response were their reggae and SKA songs. Abjeez became the first band who had written Persian reggae and SKA music!

Abjeez also got internationally recognised for their creative, homemade music videos and were invited to perform at Rotterdam film festival and nominated in the short film category at Tribeca Film Festival 2007.

The lyrics written by Melody Safavi are often humorous and social critical and mostly in Farsi. But the Abjeez sisters love to sing and perform in different languages. They also have songs in Spanish,Swedish and English!

The music composed by Safoura Safavi is a mixture of different musical styles and intents to adorn the lyrics in a fun and creative way so the performance can be enjoyable whether you do or do not understand the language they are performed in.

After a few successful years of touring in Europe, Canada & U.S.A. the sisters decided to re-shape the band in order to be able to explore new artistic ventures. Safoura perused her studies in Performance art and Sound-design at Stockholm University of the Arts and the Abjeez are now back again with their newly released third album “Paa Sho” (Stand Up) that was partly recorded in Costa Rica and Stockholm 2016. Currently the sisters based in Stockholm and New York have just completed their 7 cities North American Tour and are preparing for upcoming productions and events in 2018.

Follow ABJEEZ on Instagram @abjeez or find out more on ABJEEZ official website.

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