TEHRAN – The animated TV series “Qassem,” which focuses on the eventful childhood of martyr Qassem Soleimani, has been recently aired on Pooya TV Channel, a children's Television channel at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

“The series portrays General Qassem Soleimani’s early life experiences, ranging from working as a laborer in shops to jobs in restaurants and hotels,” the producer of the series said.

“The series is based on memories from the childhood of martyr Soleimani. The main sources for the animation are the book ‘I Feared Nothing,’ Soleimani’s autobiographical memoir, and ‘It Is Raining’ by Ahmad Yousefzadeh, both of which recount the life of Haj Qassem’s childhood in the village of Qanat-e Malek and his teenage years in the city of Kerman,” Mehr quoted Mohammad-Hossein Sadeqi as saying.

General Soleimani is viewed primarily as a military leader; however, his book “I Feared Nothing” gives a first-hand look into the humble beginnings of a man who would end up shaking the world to its core and covers his memories until 1978.

“The series consists of two seasons, depicting the period from Soleimani’s birth through his childhood and early adolescence. It took about two years to complete the research, writing, and production for the first season. Field research included interviews with local residents, reviewing documents, and collecting archival images and footage. Production of the second season will continue until next year,” he added.

On the choice of the title “Qassem,” Sadeqi explained that many names were considered, but the team ultimately decided to name the series after Qassem Soleimani himself in order to introduce his character directly to children, who generally have little familiarity with his life. 

Sadeqi described the atmosphere of the series as a blend of realism and fantasy, with stories rooted in real events. 

Qassem Soleimani (1957-2020) initially worked in construction before joining the IRGC during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He assembled and led a company of soldiers when the Iran–Iraq War began in September 1980, eventually rising through the ranks to become the commander of the 41st Tharallah Division in his 20s.

Soleimani was later involved in extraterritorial operations and in the late 1990s became commander of the IRGC Quds Force. He was amongst the most popular personalities in Iran, viewed by many as a “selfless hero fighting Iran's enemies”. 

He was assassinated in a targeted American drone strike in January 2020 in Baghdad, Iraq, on the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump.

SS/SAB