About this product: Shot in over 60 locations in the province of FARS and 5 years in the making, IRAN, The Forgotten Glory is the first independent documentary film series taking the audience on a journey into the depths of ancient Persian civilization, capturing the majesty and the splendor of the Achaemenid and Sassanid empires and their influence on world history, religion, art and culture by revealing the ancient tales hidden in the ruins and reliefs which exist today as a testament to their legacy. Part I Birth of a Nation 52 min This episode narrates the emergence of civilization in the Iranian plateau and the rise of the great Achaemenid Empire whose territory extended from India to the boarders of Europe. Through visiting ancient locations in the province of Fars, such as Pasargadae, Persepolis and Naqsh-i-Rostam (Valley of the Kings), and illustrating the life and deeds of Cyrus-the-Great, Darius and Xerxes, this episode recounts the birth of a nation, the rise of religion, culture, art and the impact of Zoroastrianism within the first great Persian empire and its eventual fall led by Alexander of Macedonia... Part II Renaissance of Glory 43 min Following Alexander s attack, this episode narrates the establishment of the Seleucid and Parthian dynasty over the Iranian plateau followed by the rise of Ardeshir Papakan, a Persian man who rebelled against the Parthians in the name of god and defeated the last Parthian king Artabanus V and established the Sassanid dynasty in 226 A.D. Through visiting the remains of this great empire in Firuzabad, Bishapur and Darab, and demonstrating the life and deeds of Ardeshir, Shapur and Khosro Anushirvan, this episode reveals the cultural, historical and religious context of Iran prior to Islam, and the fall of the Sassanid empire led by the invasion of nomadic Arab tribes and the arrival of Islam...
About this product: Before Osama Bin Laden and Iraq, Iran was regarded as one of the greatest threats to American interests in the Middle East. Today, the U.S. government believes that Iran may still pose potential danger.
For over 25 years, Death To America has been the really cry of the Iranian government; but how serious a threat does Iran represent for the United States? In this compelling documentary, The History Channel examines the once proud military tradition of Iran, its recent decline in power, and evidence that suggests Iran may be secretly pursuing a nuclear weapon.
Iran: The Next Iraq? takes a head look inside the theocracy identified by President Bush as part of the Axis Of Evil and examines Iran's role in the post 9/11 world.
About this product: This DVD was a great intro, for most, about the mysticism of mainly Islam, namely Sufism. There was very little time spent on the original religion of Iran and/or Persia: Zoroasterianism. Most of the DVD was on the Dervishes of Kurdistan, in Iran, and their traditions. I would almost strike out the verbiage about the Zoroasterians and their traditions on the DVD description and focus mostly on the traditions of Dervishes and Sufis of Iran. As an Iranian, I was somewhat familiar with the topic and was really looking forward to learning more and delving into the traditions of my country's native religion of Zoroasterian.
About this product: It was probably the greatest construction project of antiquity: in 520 B.C. King Darius I of the Achaemenids had a forty-acre terrace piled up at the foot of the Kuh-e-Rahmat the Mount of Mercy in the central Persian plateau. Here the new capital of the Persian Empire was to arise: Parsa, or Persepolis. Architects, craftsmen and artists from all the corners of a world empire that extended over three continents, from Indus to the Black Sea, from the Caspian Sea to Ethiopia, were mobilized to construct a magnificent city.
This program reconstructs the imposing site. The architects Wolfgang Gambke and Kourosh Afhami rebuilt Persepolis virtually with an animation program also used by architects and urban planners. Working on this project for several years, they produced several thousand outlines, details, structures. Not only does the documentary breathe life into the splendor of Persepolis, it also recreates a picture of a world empire which was exemplary in its organization and administration. And what was perhaps its most important feature: a realm whose inhabitants, even in the conquered regions, could rely on tolerance in questions of faith and, to a certain extent, on the rule of law. After his soldiers had pillaged the terraces of Persepolis and burnt it to the ground, Alexander visited the ruins and is said to have repented the destruction.
About this product: Located in the heart of the Middle East, Iran's reputation in the west keeps visitors away from the ancient cities and magnificent ruins that signal its past as the home of the Persian empire. Traveler Ian Wright starts his journey in the bustling capital city of Tehran before heading to the mountains and skiing in Dizin. He travels onto Esfahan via the Caspian coast and Iran's most popular tourist destination. The journey ends at the ancient city of Persepolis built at the height of the Persian empire. · Visit the Shrine of the Eman Khomeini, the holiest site in Iran. · Go Fishing for Sturgeon on the Caspian coast. · Wrestle with descendants of Genghis Khan's Mongolian invaders. · Witness the Islamic festival of Ashura. · Visit the magnificent Citadel at Bam. The material in the DVD was previously released under the title "Lonely Planet"
About this product: A response to the failure of the American mass media to provide the public with relevant and accurate information about the standoff between the US and Iran, as happened before with the lead up to the invasion of Iraq. This full length documentary explores events leading up to the escalating situation in Iran while exposing the real motivations behind the current US agenda.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
About this product: Majid Majidi celebrates the immediacy and essence of childhood in this delightful tale of a brother and sister who share a pair of shoes when the boy (though no fault of his own) loses his sister's only pair. Since their parents are too poor to afford a new pair, they keep it a secret, trading them off every day in a mad rush, jumping gutters and navigating the twisting lanes to their schools and back. Then the boy hatches a plan: the third-place prize in a student footrace is a new pair of shoes, and he's determined to take it. The plot may smack of a Disney film, but the direction couldn't be more different. The family scenes are delicately observed, and Majidi captures the spirit of the children perfectly: proud, emotional, petulant, sweet, and disarmingly sincere. The film has a Western-friendly framework without losing the naturalistic eye and lolling rhythm that gives the best Iranian films their richness. Even as he builds to the climactic footrace (quite unexpectedly turned into a nail-biting contest) the film continues to reveal a wealth of discreet surprises, culminating in a conclusion all the more resonant for its sublime delicacy. His efforts earned the film the honor of becoming the first Iranian feature to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. --Sean Axmaker
About this product: The confrontation between Islam and the Jews began in the Prophet Muhammads time and continues to this day. Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran and The Revolt of Islam is an historic journey, from the birth of Islam, through its 1,200 year reign over the civilized world, to the last 300 years of Islamic decline, overtaken and dominated by the West - then humiliated by a Jewish state. Islams historic trials with Jews, and its relationship with conquered non-believers, help illustrate the Islamic world view - all through the eyes of Muslims. In this groundbreaking film, the total rejection of Israel by Muslim states since its inception in 1948 comes to light as a religious duty for Believers. The Islamic roots of Anwar Sadats 1977 Camp David Accords with Israel are exposed as The Diplomatic Strategy Against Israel by which Egypt sought to defeat Israel through diplomacy, rather than establish Western Peace. Israels misunderstanding of Islamic goals and values are highlighted by its enthusiasm for Yasser Arafat and the 1993 Oslo Accords. Next, President George Bushs tragic misunderstanding of 9/11 as a War Against Freedom, in which the United States played into the hands of Al-Qaeda and the Islamist cause by advocating democratic reform across the Middle East, is revealed. Finally, the Iranian strategic agenda for acquiring weapons of mass destruction to eliminate Israel comes clearly into focus. Today, at the direction of Iran, Islamists are preparing for a fateful coming war for Islam - and Israel is the number one target and obstacle in the path of Islamic revival. Only with the return of Jews to their historic status as Dhimmi or Tributaries, tolerated and protected within Islamic society, can Islamic revival succeed - resulting in Islamic Peace, in the Middle East. Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran and The Revolt of Islam reaches the unavoidable conclusion that Western and Israeli misunderstanding of Islam is leading to a coming war - which will have devastating consequences for the West, and worst of all for Israel - Farewell Israel!
About this product: One November 4, 1979, a group of radical Islamic students swarmed into the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking its staff hostage and demanding that the American government return the Shah of Iran. 444 days later the students went home, having failed to produce the Shah (he had died), but having succeeded in unleashing a geopolitical disturbance which wreaked havoc on the American psyche and brought ruin to then President Jimmy Carter's term in office.
Produced by acclaimed filmmaker, Les Harris, The Iran Hostage Crisis: 444 Days to Freedom, interweaves rare documentary footage with personal reminiscences and contemporary video, moving presidents and pundits into the wings, leaving center stage for the hostages and those who knew them well. To watch this film is to vividly relive the euphoria of release.
DVD Bonus Features include the History of Iran (Persia), Persian Historical Periods and Instant Access to 60 Chapter Stops.
An interesting note... the profile of the man carrying the briefcase (in the cover art) is suspected by some former American hostages and US government authorities of being Iran's new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. To understand the present, we must first understand the past.
About this product: Googoosh, Iran's legendary pop diva, was silenced following the 1979 Islamic revolution, when women singers were labeled "temptresses" and forbidden to perform publicly in the presence of men or to release recordings. For several decades, Googoosh's popularity throughout the Middle East had fueled a frenzy in her fans that surpassed the West's cult of Elvis in its intensity. Iranian-American filmmaker Farhad Zamani provides a thoughtful and highly entertaining examination of the phenomenon of Googoosh; from her beginnings as a child star, to a full-fledged adult career of unprecedented scope, to silence and resurgance. Packed with clips from her films as well as concert footage, this award-winning film also examines her image and cultural significance, and places her in a political and historical context; a look at the status of women in Iran before and after the revolution is a connecting thread. Winner! - Vancouver Iranian Film Festival
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