TEHRAN -- A special ceremony in honor of leading stage director Hamid Samandarian was held at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) here on Saturday.

Tehran mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf along with a group of actors and artists among whom were Iraj Rad, Roya Teimurian, Ezzatollah Entezami, Hamed Behdad, Behzad Farahani and Davud Rashidi attended the event.
Samandarian, born in 1921 in Tehran, is a graduate of dramatic arts from Hamburg.
Qalibaf was delighted to open the ceremony in which he announced that Iranshahr Hall No.2 was named after Samandarian where a full-length statue of the master now is standing at its entrance.
He also promised that the municipality would be giving support and help to Samandarian to stage a single play.
An exhibition of graphic designs and cartoons featuring Samandarian created by masters of graphic art Qobad Shiva, Ebrahim Haqiqi, late Morteza Momayyez and several others was inaugurated at the Iranshahr hall of the forum.
Actor Reza Kianian was the host on stage and said that the ceremony has been arranged by the master’s students and fans.
Afterwards, the statue of the master created by Hamid Kangarani was unveiled in the presence of Samandarian and his wife actress Homa Rusta.
Samandarian expressed his delight and said, “This ceremony came as a complete surprise. I can see masters in this ceremony who deserve to be honored before me.”
He then talked about his German instructor Edward Max and the interest in theater he helped grow inside him. He also referred to his Iranian master Abdolhossein Nushin and said, “Nushin’s theater was thought-provocative. He guided me to become a theatrical person and make use of thought in my work.
“Master Ebrahim Golestan was also a great scholar, a linguist, and a translator and I learned translation from him. He thought me how an individual can translate a novel and a play,” he explained.
The ceremony continued with a short speech his wife Rusta gave about her husband and his great endeavors in promoting theater in the country.
The book “This Is the Stage of My Life” written by Afsaneh Mahian featuring works and thoughts of the master was also introduced at the ceremony.
The ceremony was brought to an end by a live music performance by Saeid Zehni, a student of Samandarian.
Photo: Hamid Samandarian (R) poses for a photograph with his wax figure, which was unveiled during a ceremony held on February 28, 2010 at the Iranian Artists Forum to pay tribute to the Iranian stage teacher and director. (Mehr/Mohsen Rezaii)