Most recent articles by Amin Farzanefar
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Tahrir and Taksim – Part IISoundtrack of two revolutions
Tahrir and Taksim: two squares, one new culture of protest? In the second part of this two-part report, Amin Farzanefar looks at the how street art, music and film became essential parts of the new protest culture
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Tahrir and Taksim – Part IA new culture of protest
In 2011 and 2013, two major cities in the Islamic world were rocked by popular unrest. The extended demonstrations seemed to usher in a new culture of protest. In this two-part report, Amin Farzanefar looks at how the art and music scenes changed in Cairo and Istanbul as a result of these protests
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"New Sounds of Iran"Busting Geographical and Cultural Boundaries
Traditional Persian classical music enjoys an almost unassailable status in Iran – in contrast to the country's rather disreputable but creative underground scene. The "New Sounds of Iran" Festival shows how the two apparently conflictive genres can be combined. Amin Farnanefar reports on the event and new trends in Iranian music
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Asghar Farhadi's ''Nader und Simin''Flight from the middle class
Ever since his triumph at the Berlinale Film Festival, Asghar Farhadi has found himself compared to film greats such as Bergman, Antonioni, Cassavetes and Altman. But the main characteristic of Farhadi's films is that they are a seismograph of social crisis in Iran. Amin Farzanefar reports
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Egyptian CinemaEnormous Creative Energy
Egypt's filmmakers were among those who openly protested against Mubarak, thus toppling his regime. Now, they will have to change the language of their country's cinema. Amin Farzanefar on what the Arab Spring means for the Egyptian cinema
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The Turkish Film MiracleSpirit of Optimism and a Lack of Craftsmanship
For years now, Turkish films have been winning prizes at international film festivals and are popular in European art house cinemas. The occasion of the mammoth 30th Istanbul International Film Festival is a fitting time to ask the question “What is with the Turkish film miracle?” An assessment by Amin Farzanefar
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"Gallipoli" by Tolga Örnek
The Birth of Legends and Heroes
Ninety years ago 86,000 Turkish soldiers and more than 40,000 Allied soldiers died in the battle of Gallipoli. While Australia and New Zealand keep the memory of the battle alive with Anzac Day, here it is hardly known. Now Tolga Örnek has made a film about it