TEHRAN – The Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) is producing a documentary about the life of Sadi Afshar (1934-2013), the master of siah-bazi, a type of Iranian folk dramatic performing art.

Siah-bazi is a type of Iranian folk play featuring a blackfaced harlequin who stirs the audience to laughter with amusing improvisations.

Amir-Hossein Guran is the director of the documentary titled “A Glance over the Life of Sadi Afshar”, the DEFC announced in a press release on Monday.

Guran called Afshar “the second Charlie Chaplin of the world” and said, “In this film, Afshar talks about his experiences and his heartfelt emotions that have never been expressed in any other film or source.”

“Scenes of the film have been taken over the last few years of his life,” he added.

Guran has conducted interviews with some Afshar’s colleagues and friends, including Davud Fat’halibeigi, Mahmud Azizi, Gholam Babuteh, Reza Rezamandi, Javad Ensafi and Marjan Qamar.

Afshar gave many performances in Iran and other countries during his lifelong career in this genre of Iranian dramatic art.
 
He was so dedicated to his work that once during an interview he had expressed his wish to die on stage.

Photo: Sadi Afshar (L) and his colleague perform a siah-bazi in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW