The Mirror of the Soul, For the anniversary of Forough Farrokhzad’s Birthday

For the anniversary of Forough Farrokhzad’s birthday, Docunight is proudly releasing Nasser Saffarian’s trilogy The Mirror of the Soul. This gripping documentary includes The Green Cold (part I), a revealing look at her personal life; The Mirror of the Soul (part II), an exploration of her controversial, sometimes erotic poetry; and Summit of the Wave (part III), an overview of her work in theater and film, including her groundbreaking film The House Is Black. In these three films, Saffarian aims to translate Forough’s poetic and spiritual sensibilities to the medium of film. The juxtaposition of Forough’s poetry with interviews with her family and friends — along with invaluable footage of Farrokhzad herself, shot by master Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci — creates moments of intense closeness to her character. In choosing a film that pays the legendary Forough Farrokhzad the respect and attention she deserves, we found ourselves faced with a severe lack of comprehensive and reliable digital resources. However, this three-part documentary from director Nasser Saffarian takes an intimate and in-depth look at Farrokhzad’s life and work.

The Mirror of the Soul is a gentle and humane documentary that centers on Forough Farrokhzad, one of Iran’s most celebrated contemporary poets who became a legend in her own time for her innovative and controversial poetry.

Written and directed by Nasser Saffarian.

2007/ 152 min

Language: In Persian with English subtitles.