Showing posts with label Parviz Davaie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parviz Davaie. Show all posts

Thursday 16 April 2015

A Tribute to Parviz Davaie

Parviz Davaie
I'm honored to publish this personal, intimate portrait of Iranian author and film critic Parviz Davaie on my blog, not only because it gives insights about the man whose work I've always admired, but also because it is written by no one but his old friend and collaborator, and another pioneer of (modern) film criticism in Iran, Kiomars Vejdani.

PARVIZ  DAVAIE: A TRIBUTE
By Kiomars Vejdani

"Davaie speaking." His voice at the end of the phone was my first contact with Davaie for over fifty years. It had not changed a lot. The same soft tone reflecting his gentle nature. For the first few moments he was formal, serious, and rather reserved. But soon as he found out the identity of the speaker the formality gave way to unreserved warmth and welcoming friendliness. Exactly the sort of response I was hoping for.

A Setareh Cinema cover from November, 1966
Since moving away to England I have now and then been thinking about my period of work at Setareh Cinema and  happy memories among my friends there. The wish to contact them was always there. When I found out that Davaie is living in Prague that wish turned into decision. Getting his address from a mutual friend I wrote him a letter not hoping to receive an answer after all these years. Contrary to my expectation shortly afterwards I received a long letter from him. Loyal as ever he was pleased to hear from me. His letter gave me the encouragement for further contact. Shortly afterwards as I was making a journey to Prague I thought I could take this opportunity to pay him a visit. Hence the purpose of my phone call.


We arranged to meet the next day at eleven in the morning at the central square by the clock tower. (suggested by him as a place in Prague familiar to and easily found by tourists and visitors.) Next morning I was at the site a short while before the appointed time, looking in every direction for Davaie not quite knowing how he looks like after all these years (by then I had not yet seen his recent photos on the internet).

There was an element of  Hitchcockian suspense as I was looking at any approaching stranger wondering  with anticipation. Then at exactly eleven o'clock he was there (Davaie was always well known for his punctuality.) The same tall slim figure and handsome features. But the passage of time had turned his raven black hair into snow white, matched by equally white eyebrows and now an added becoming beard. He had aged. (Time does not stop for anyone.) His long black coat completed his dignified image of a writer and a  poet.

Unless it was my imagination his skin looked a shade darker. But he certainly looked thinner than his younger days. (Unlike me who has gained weight with advanced age.) We tentatively approached each other. His reaction to my first few words was total amazement.  "But you can speak Farsi!" Apparently in my letter I had given him the impression that I had completely forgotten my native language which is almost true. My command of Persian language is very basic and nothing like the days gone by. Nevertheless with a mixture of English and broken Farsi I managed to communicate with him. We talked about cinema, life,  our past, and everything under the sun. Within less than an hour it felt as if we had never been separated. For we had a good deal in common. We were more or less the same age (born in 1935و he was three years my senior.) We were both born in Tehran and spent our childhood and youth in that city. And above all cinema was the love of our lives.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Homage to Parviz Davaie

به مناسبت چاپ كتاب «امشب در سينما ستاره» برنامه اي براي پرويز دوايي در تهران ترتيب داده و به رسم اين سال ها ويدئويي از او يا فيلم‌هاي مورد علاقه و محبوبش را نشان داده بودند. من در اين مراسم حاضر نبودم، اما بعدتر هوشنگ گلمكاني ويدئوي ضبط شده از مراسم را نشانم داد و فيلم‌هايي كه براي پرويز گذاشته بودند با بي ربط بود و يا بي كيفيت. او از من خواست تا دو كليپ كوتاه آماده كنم و من هم اين كار را كردم، اما نمي دانم از آن‌ها استفاده شد يا نه. اين دو ويدئو را امروز در «يوتيوب» گذاشتم تا لااقل همه بتوانند ببينند. يكي با ريتم تند و ديوانه‌وار گروه «باك كليتون»، كه براي اشاره به سينما به عنوان «تفنگ» يا اسباب معاشقه با خشونت است، و فيلم دوم، با ريتم آرام و موسيقي «كولمن هاوكينز» با همراهي سازهاي زهي، براي تصوير دوم سينما به عنوان ابزار معاشقه در تاريكي. تلفيق اين دو، همان طور كه بارها از دهان اين و آن شنيده ايد - كه معمولاً به بهترين شكل توسط «ژان لوك گدار» بيان شده - سينما = تفنگ + دختر. امروز براي من ترديدي باقي نمانده كه اين بهترين اشاره به ماهيت سينماست. اما ويدئوهاي پرويز اداي دين من به اوست، با تمام علاقه‌اي كه به او دارم و با آگاهي كامل از تفاوت‌هايمان كه شايد تفاوت بين دو نسل باشد، و نه دو آدم، يا دو سينمادوست.