TEHRAN – Farajollah Salahshur (1953–2016), director of the TV series “Prophet Joseph (AS)”, was commemorated during a meeting at Tehran’s Art Bureau on Monday.

The meeting entitled “Narrator of Truth” was attended by Ali-Akbar Salehi, the vice-president and director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Art Bureau Director Mohsen Momeni-Sharif, filmmaker Jamal Shurjeh and several members of the cast for “Prophet Joseph (AS)”.

Salahshur, famous for making two series based on stories from the Holy Quran over the past decade, died of lung cancer at the age of 63 on February 27, 2016.

Speaking at the meeting, Salehi called Salahshur an individual who was long associated with the Holy Quran his entire life.

“The story of Prophet Joseph (AS) in the Holy Quran is always fresh. The TV series will also never become old-fashioned or outdated due to the aspect of close intimacy between its writer and director with the Holy Quran,” he added.

In addition, Momeni-Sharif regarded Salahshur as one of the founders of the school of Islamic Revolution arts, and said, “Salahshur believed that the ideals of the Islamic Revolution can be narrated only through a special school of arts and not via the arts in the form of Western styles.”

The meeting was concluded by honoring members of the cast for “Prophet Joseph (AS)”, including Mahmud Pakniyat who played the role of Prophet Jacob (AS) and his wife Mahvash Sabrkon who acted as Zulaikha’s maid in the series.

A large album containing photos from the “Prophet Joseph (AS)” was also unveiled at the meeting.

Salahshur began his career in cinema as an actor in “Pure Repentance” in 1983. However, he tried his hand at filmmaking with “Prophet Job (AS)” in 1993.

“Prophet Joseph (AS)”, a TV series that was broadcast from IRIB’s Channel 1 in 2008 and 2009, was his most eminent work.

Photo: Members of the cast for “Prophet Joseph (AS)” and Art Bureau officials unveil a photo album of the TV series in Tehran on April 11, 2016. (Mehr/Masud Saki)

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