Event! Celebrating Iranian Cinema Songs At Stanford

The Stanford Iranian Studies Program is hosting a spectacular event highlighting the greatest Iranian songs of the silver screen! The event is called "Viguen to Dariush, Delkash to Googoosh: The Evolution of Iranian Cinema Songs, 1951–1978" which will occur on August 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Tickets are free and open to the public!

Researchers at Stanford are hoping to highlight the period of music before the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Beginning in the 1950s, traditional Iranian music grew yielding new popular styles. The evolution of music during this time corresponded with the social transformation and modernization the country was simultaneously undergoing.

Iranian cinema was a major stage for this new music. Highly popular, they also added storytelling value and quickly became an integral part of Iranian films.

The event lecturer is Afshin Hashemi, a Tehran-born actor, director, and playwright. Some of his works include his film “Soft Voice (Sedaye Ahesteh),” “Goodbye Shirazi Girl,” and two serieses, “The Women’s Secret Network” and “DaVinchiz!.”

This free lecture is part of the Stanford Festival of Iranian Arts which is an ongoing series of events featuring notable contemporary and prior Iranian artists. The Festival aims to reach beyond gender or religious prejudices to honor the legacy of these incredible individuals.