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cyrus Site Admin
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cyrus Site Admin
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:35 pm Post subject: XERXES By Darius KADIVAR |
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3/15/07
XERXES
By Darius KADIVAR
Source: http://www.payvand.com/news/07/mar/1199.html
DK: What were your sources in writing this screenplay ? How much of this Love Story as we know it today is authentic and recorded in History books?
(RAH): When one writes a story based in history, there is already an expectation of the final product being as authentic as possible. I did a great deal of research, spending countless hours reading the works of Herodotus, Ctesias, Aeschylus, Plutarch, Thucydides, Justin, Diodorus, and Xenophon, among others, and seeing where they corroborated one another. I also used actual palace inscriptions and, in doing so, was able to not only create a character profile of just who Xerxes was, but those who most greatly influenced his life, friend and foe alike. It was truly a painstaking process. Again, I wanted everything to be as true to life as possible.
There were a few, really minor changes (for example, a cousin being instead referred to as a friend, or one character being a composite of a couple of people) so as to make the story more palatable for a contemporary audience. Of course, scenes and plot devices had to be written to maintain continuity, as no one was there to document every little thing that happened from point A to point B, but I think I accomplished a work that is both entertaining, as well as educational. In fact, there is only one part, which takes place during Thermopylae, that is a blatant "Hollywoodism", and even that was done intentionally to symbolize the struggle between two kingdoms.
The most difficult part of writing this screenplay, however, was when Esther enters the picture. For example, the Bible tells us why she was introduced to Xerxes, but what actually occurred during that first meeting? What words were spoken? We're left to wonder, and I found it profoundly difficult to make up my own dialogue when dealing with something so sacred. I recently saw another film about Esther, and was dismayed by how the writer added so many unnecessary factors to the story, like a would-be boyfriend, and diverted from the Biblical account. There were many, many historical inaccuracies regarding the Persians too, but that wasn't surprising.
This sad trend is being continued in a new Spartan-centric film about the Battle of Thermopylae ( Warner Bros 300 ), which is factually flawed to the point of being downright offensive. The movie's logline claims it retells the account of how three-hundred Spartan soldiers drew the line in the sand, defending democracy against Xerxes' million-man army. The numbers are laughable and the premise of the story is backwards. It implies that Xerxes was attempting to enslave Greece under Persian tyranny. Wrong. The war was initially sparked by what was viewed by the Persians as an unprovoked attack against the empire, perpetrated by the Athenians. Furthermore, according to Herodotus himself, the Persians supported democracies in the northern Hellas, while the Spartans imposed oligarchies.
In fact, I believe, had Greece allied itself with Persia, democracy might have flourished faster, because the grueling Pelopponesian War, fought between Sparta and Athens, would have been averted. Sadly, it wasn't. The Spartans prevailed, overthrew the 'democratic' Athenian leadership and replaced it with...that's right...an oligarchic regime.
Though I don't believe the creators of the aforementioned film intended this, it screams, "Hey, look! Not only are the Middle Easterners out to get us now -- they've always been after the West!"
It is promoting disinformation, which may very well fuel further racism, especially in light of the current state of world affairs...and for what? Entertainment? |
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cyrus Site Admin
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:37 pm Post subject: Darius Kadivar |
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Darius Kadivar
http://persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1263&getArticleCategory=79&getArticleSubCategory=119
I had the privilege of interviewing Cyrus Kar for PersianMirror, last January and on his fabulous film project a Bio Epic on Cyrus the Great. Knowing Cyrus’ own stamina and interest in informing his compatriots on Persian History, I couldn't doubt that he would certainly have something to say on the most controversial movie of the year for the Persian Community at large: Zack Snyder’s 300. The movie has sparked a series of unprecedented reactions in the Iranian community with several online petitions circulating condemning the films message as a false depiction of Persian History.
Ironically even the Islamic Regime in Iran has condemned the movie as an “Insult to Persians” accusing Hollywood of ‘Psychological Warfare’. True or false an assessment, Iran's government's sudden outrage is in total contradiction with its own interior behavior and policy of neglect towards Persian archeological sites such as Pasargarda and Persepolis threatened by the construction of the Sivand Dam (see petition & website).
Western press has however to its credit echoed the current malaise of the Persian community despite the movie’s immense Box Office Results . Thus to name a few Time Magazine’s correspondent Azadeh Moaveni (author of Lipstick Jihad) expresses the current mood in Tehran by ‘300 vs 70 Million Iranians’ and the Associated Press titles ‘Iranians outraged by Hit Movie 300.’ Cyrus Kar kindly asked me to share with you his views on the film and wishes for the new Persian New Year. This article is also available on his website dedicated to his own film project In Search of Cyrus the Great which is currently struggling to gather the necessary finances to finally enter production. |
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cyrus Site Admin
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject: The 300 - A Persian's Thoughts |
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The 300 - A Persian's Thoughts
http://forums.tweakguides.com/showthread.php?p=65050]
Koroush Ghazi
Site Owner
Many of you would be familiar by now with the recently released movie called 300 supposedly based on the Battle at Thermopylae between a small group of Greeks vs. a large Persian army. Most of you might also be aware by now of the fuss surrounding this film, predominantly raised by people of Persian descent.
In fact a lot of people are probably confused as to why Iranians of Persian descent are making such a big deal about this film, and what their objections may be. Surely it's just a good, fun piece of entertainment which shouldn't be taken too seriously, right? Aren't the Persians just being sore losers?
I am a Persian. Like most people, I love a bit of fantasy and escapist fun, after all that's what movies are all about. But this film made me very, very angry in several respects. If you truly want to understand why, please read on.
The 300, the Fuss, the Furore
The film 300 is first and foremost a fantasized retelling of a mythicized battle. In the film, 300 jovial, battle-hardened, freedom-loving Spartans hold off literally millions of evil Persians. The Persians, depicted as sadistic, perverted, evil, blasphemous, dark and malignant, are hell-bent on invading Greece to kill innocent people and subjugate these humble Spartans. The King of the Persians, Xerxes, is depicted as a 9 foot tall God-King who variously screams at or beguiles King Leonidas of the Spartans, cajoling him to the Dark Side.
Did a relatively smaller number of Greeks briefly hold off a larger Persian army at Thermopylae? Yes. There is no doubt that this occurred, and that the Spartans in particular were brave to remain and fight in the face of overwhelming odds. But that's where the facts of the matter end. The film then renders a totally misleading account of even the most basic facts of the battle, in what might even be said to be almost a propagandistic manner. Let's look at some critical facts, starting with the Spartan's much-touted "love of freedom".
Let's be clear on this: the Spartans held slaves, the Persians generally did not. This fact alone totally shatters the underpinnings of this film. The Spartans were not fighting for a "new age of Freedom". Indeed the Spartans more often than not were fighting their fellow Greeks for Hellenic rulership. They were a Greek superpower engaged in constant power struggles. Meanwhile the entire Spartan and Greek empire was served by Greek slaves called Helots. These Helots had no personal or political freedom, toiling to provide the goods and services the Spartans enjoyed. They were ritually mistreated, often fatally, and their young were forcibly recruited into the army to fight for the Greeks. Indeed the Spartans lived in fear of the Helots as they were outnumbered by them and totally reliant on them.
Yet didn't all ancient empires hold slaves? The Persians did not as a matter of normal course, it was against the law. The Persians made a point of declaring this in Cyrus the Great's Charter of Human Rights which has been recognized by the United Nations as the first such charter:
Quote:
I prevent slavery and my governors and subordinates are obliged to prohibit exchanging men and women as slaves within their own ruling domains. Such a traditions should be exterminated the world over.
In fact the Persians freed all the Jewish slaves upon conquering Babylon.
Whereas the Spartans and Greeks held and mistreated slaves and did so as a normal part of their economy, Persian troops came from many conquered lands, but they were paid and not enslaved to fight. Persian lands were ruled by local Governors (called Satraps) and were not enslaved nations. They were specifically allowed to retain their traditions, religions, and wealth. Persia was one of the first truly tolerant empires on Earth, attempting to bring a range of nations under an umbrella of Persian law and justice. Were the Persians saints on earth? I doubt that. But even by Greek accounts they certainly appear far more tolerant, just and good than the Spartans. The Greeks hold the main known accounts of the Persians - Alexander the Great destroyed the Persian records by burning down Persepolis. So despite their clear bias against the Persians, even the Greeks respected and revered them.
Serious Historical Inaccuracies
The film uses layer upon layer upon layer of such amazing and deceptive inaccuracies, that it is truly beyond belief. In this respect it is a fantasy film, but it is done with such an air of plausibility that the less educated may well be fooled into believing some of this nonsense (special effects aside), and recent comments on online forums proves this to be the case. So to clarify things, here are the highlights of the major inaccuracies of this film:
- The Persians are portrayed in a horrendously inaccurate fashion. Two simple examples demonstrate this.
This is what the Persian King Xerxes would have looked like:
Here is how Xerxes is portrayed in the 300:
Here are the Persian Immortals as they would really be:
Here is how they're portrayed in the film:
The Immortals did not wear Japanese-style armour or face masks, nor use Japanese-style Katana/Wakizashi sword combinations. They did not call themselves "Immortals" as a boast, this is a Greek name given to them. They obviously did not look like orcish man-beasts either, nor is it even clear how the Immortals fought at Thermopylae; whether they were used in full force or kept as a reserve for later battles in the Greek campaign. I'd suggest it seems unlikely that the 10,000 Immortals fought actively at Thermopylae in reality, as they were elite forces too valuable to sacrifice in a scenario involving an attack on a fortified mountain pass.
- The Persians are portrayed as perverse and blasphemous, godless people. Yet ironically it was the Greeks who had multiple gods and sacrificed offerings to them - often hundreds of animals sacrificed before battle to appease their Gods. The Persians on the other hand were Zoroastrians, a religion which only has one God and is the forerunner of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It has as the central tenet "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds." The Persians did not engage in perverse or depraved acts - indeed unlike the Greeks, the Persians did not as a matter of common acceptance take small boys to bed for example. The Persians appear to have taken pleasure in the simpler things in life, such as the cultivation of beautiful gardens. They had a (ironically) very 'spartan', minimalist lifestyle. They were also Aryans, not dark people - the country Iran to this day retains its name meaning "Land of Aryans".
- King Leonidas did not flippantly organise 300 men to march off to war to show how brave the Spartans were. It was a matter of necessity since many of the Spartans and other Greeks were competing in the Olympic games and so did not turn up to engage the Persians in battle. There are of course other issues, such as the fact that the Greeks were not united in opposing the Persians; some wanted to make peace with the Persians not fight them. Most importantly, there were not only 300 Spartans who came to the battle of Thermopylae, there were 700 Thespians who joined them, and indeed a range of up to 6,000 other Greeks (some of them forcibly retained by the Spartans to fight). Thus the total Greek fighting force was closer to 7,000 for most of the battle.
- The numbers for the battle are generally incredibly nonsensical. It is claimed by the Greek historian Herodotus that they were around 2 million Persians. This is almost certainly totally absurd. Read the discussion at Wikipedia to understand why. The numbers were more likely to be in the range of 200,000, some even say as low as 30,000. The Greeks are claimed to have killed up to 20,000 Persians in the first couple of days, while only losing 2 -3 Spartans. Picture for yourself how stupid this claim is. Imagine if you will that 20,000 corpses could even fit in the mouth of a narrow pass, much less at the cost of only two Spartan lives. This among other claims by Greek historians is obviously the work of a fervent imagination designed to glorify the Spartans beyond belief. It also reinforces the fact that most accounts of the battle itself are likely over-hyped and exaggerated a great deal by the Greeks.
- The Persian army was large not due to "Persian cowardice", but because the Persians were marching on the whole of Greece itself, not just against the Spartans. The Spartans intercepted the Persians on the way through Greece. Not that using large numbers in an Army could be considered cowardice, otherwise the US, Russian and Chinese armies could then be accused of much the same thing in any recent engagements they've been involved in.
- The account of the battle itself is once again a somewhat hard-to-believe mythical story. But we do know that in contrast to the movie, the Spartans were undoubtedly heavily armored, not fighting half-naked, as they were facing an enemy who had a large number of archers. They maintained a tight Phalanx formation, and it would be unlikely they could break this formation, again for fear of being picked off by archers. They did not jump about killing hundreds of men with amazing dance-fighting techniques as the 300 would have you believe. The only thing which kept them alive for as long as it did was the strategy of using a tight-shielded Phalanx formation, maintained at the mouth of a narrow pass.
There are many other major and minor inaccuracies in this movie, but suffice it to say the film portrays actual events as accurately as the Star Wars trilogy.
Ok, So What, It's Just a Movie Dude
The most common response to these types of allegations will be "So what, the 300 is just a movie, it's not meant to be historically accurate!". Yes, of course it's a movie. I also doubt the producers will ever claim that it is historically accurate. It is based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller. Ostensibly there should be no problem. However because it is supposedly based on historical events, therein lies the danger of this film.
Now more than ever movies have incredible power. Their vividly realistic portrayals make us laugh, they make us cry, they anger and sadden us and they inspire and motivate us. In the face of rapidly declining knowledge and education among much of the populace, movies are defacto teachers of history and culture, of right and wrong, of human philosophy. They serve to generate or reinforce stereotypes, particularly among more impressionable, less experienced youth who are actually the target audience for this film.
When a movie purports to chronicle a historical event, even loosely so, it will be taken at face value by a large number of people who see it. Especially since there are no movies or popular accounts opposing this twisted version of the tale. If you read the many forum posts and online discussions about this film, it is brazenly being touted as being "reasonably accurate" by many who know no better. I even saw one discussion on the IMDB movie boards discussing whether we could live up to the ideals of the Spartans! Most people have no idea that aside from the Hollywood special effects, this film is actually way off the mark in almost every respect, particularly about the Spartans and the Persians, who they really were, and what they actually stood for.
Disturbingly, this film is clearly intended as a sort of morality tale, about "defending freedom" at all costs. The humble but militarily supreme Spartans, while heavily outnumbered, bravely fight to the end to secure freedom against tyranny. The Spartans are clearly a proxy for white western people, both in appearance and their jovial behavior. The Persians are clearly a proxy for Middle Easterners. Utterly humorless, totally evil, perverse and Godless, the Persians are shown as people who don't value freedom or justice. As a horde they are marching towards the Spartans to take away their freedom and impose horrible, blasphemous values upon them. King Xerxes almost exactly mimics the earthly incarnation of Satan himself. This is obviously designed to allow people to draw parallels with the evil threat of terrorism; of those who are coming to take our freedoms away. There are even clear hints of muslim extremism in the Persians: in the scene where the "Persian" (African) herald tells King Leonidas' wife to be quiet while the men are speaking; again something which the Persians did not do any more than the Spartans. Iran was invaded by Arabs and converted to Islam roughly 1,000 years after this tale is set.
I Sense an Agenda
I contend that this film has been specifically timed for release and designed to consciously or subconsciously appeal to people to draw obvious parallels between Persians (Middle Easterners) vs. Spartans (Americans) during a time in our history when there is a very real conflict between the two cultures, and the very real threat of an invasion of Iran by the US. Movie producers know full well that topical, controversial films are a recipe for box office success, and that is true of the 300 which is already racking up huge profits.
In the current political environment a film which is so irresponsibly inaccurate, almost deliberately deceptive and misleading, and so readily appeals to the lowest common denominator with its slick visuals and intuitively desirable but totally incorrect underlying message is something I deplore. Should it be banned or censored? I don't believe that is the way to treat information.
Sadly the real long-term solution would be that a more accurate film portraying the Persians (and Spartans) be released, or that people read widely about the actual facts on various ancient cultures, not just the Persians or the Ancient Greeks. But neither of these is likely to happen. People have no interest in making such an effort, or reading the often unpleasant truth about their heroes, particularly when a glitzy movie can make them yelp with excitement and pride over fictitious events.
A prominent US-based Persian director Kayvan Mashayekh, who created the beautiful movie The Keeper about 11th Century Persian poet Omar Khayyam is trying to produce a film on the ancient Persians called Cyrus the Great. Like his previous effort, it is obviously not going to gain any mainstream support, since there is little profit in telling the true story of the Persians. Not while there is money to be made by pandering to the bloodlust and misconceptions of 15 year old boys hell bent on perceiving themselves as freedom-loving Spartan heroes in the face of the evil foreigners.
Koroush Ghazi
Owner/Author
www.TweakGuides.com
Note: The forum is not open to commentary, however you can Email me at Koroush@tweakguides.com if you wish to provide constructive feedback. If you believe the article should be read more widely, please Digg it.
P.S: To those writing to me still not understanding how a fictional movie can cause outrage and offense, imagine if future generations only see a movie 'based loosely on the events of September 11 2001' as told by muslim extremists, in a popular glamorous movie where Osama Bin Laden is represented as everything good and righteous, and Americans are represented as godless man-beasts, who deserved to be attacked. Then tell me you believe such a movie would be essentially harmless entertainment, or that you'd want your kids to go see it.
P.P.S: This article is not meant as a direct attack on Greeks, modern or ancient. Both the Persian and Greek cultures contributed a great deal to mankind, and the Greeks had varied traditions and practices, and were not a homogenous group of people. Ironically most Greeks I've met know quite a lot about ancient Persia and are very respectful, as are Persians of Greeks. Thankfully we have been able to put past animosities behind us. |
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cyrus Site Admin
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject: Excellent Article |
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http://www.savepasargad.com/aa.from%20091806/March/zaim-300.htm
نامه ای به شرکت برادران وارنر درباره فیلم 300
از: کوروش زعيم
آقایان محترم:
نمایش دادن سرخپوستان امریکا به عنوان مردمی وحشی و بی فرهنگ، در دوران نخستین هالیوود انسانی نبود، ولی با توجه به تبلیغات رسمی و در دسترس نبودن اطلاعات تاریخی و فرهنگی درباره آنان، قابل درک بود. هیچ تاریخ نبشته ای وجود نداشت، هیچ ارتباط فرهنگی و هیچ آمیزشی میان دو فرهنگ وجود نداشت که اثبات راه خطای هالیوود یا اثبات عمدی بودن توهین به فرهنگ سرخپوستان باشد. بزودی هالیوود به خطای خود پی برد و برای جبران آن کجروی ها به ساختن فیلم هایی مانند "رقص با گرگها" و بسیاری فیلم های دیگر در تجلیل از فرهنگ بومی امریکا پرداخت.
نمایش دادن سیاهپوستان امریکا به عنوان مردمی بی تمدن و آموزش ناپذیر در طی دوران نخستین هالیوود انسانی نبود، ولی با توجه به میراث استعماری باقی مانده در آن زمان و در دسترس نبودن اطلاعات تاریخی و فرهنگی درباره آنان، قابل درک بود. هیچ ارتباط فرهنگی و هیچ آمیزشی میان دو فرهنگ وجود نداشت که اثبات راه خطای هالیوود یا اثبات عمدی بودن توهین به فرهنگ افریقایی باشد. بزودی هالیوود به خطای خود پی برد و برای جبران آن کجروی ها آغاز به ساختن فیلم هایی مانند "حدس بزن کی به شام می آید" و بسیاری فیلم های دیگر در تجلیل از فرهنگ سیاهپوستان امریکا پرداخت.
نمایش دادن ایتالیاییان امریکا به عنوان گانگسترها، در دوران نخستین هالیوود انسانی نبود، ولی از آنجا که مافیای امریکا ریشه در سیسیلی ایتالیا داشت و برخی اشرار ایتالیایی به امریکا راه پیدا کرده بودند، قابل درک بود. امریکایی های ایتالیایی تبار به تاریخ، دین و فرهنگ مشترک با امریکاییان افتخار می کردند و نزدیک به همه مهاجران ایتالیایی تبار امریکا مردمی سخت کوش و قانونمند بودند که در همه رشته های بازرگانی، دانش و هنر به برجستگی رسیده بودند. بزودی هالیوود به خطای خود در تبلیغ نقش های منفی برای ایتالیایی تباران پی برد و برای جبران آن کجروی ها آغاز به تجلیل از ایتالیا و ایتالیاییان در فیلم ها پرداخت.
اما، دروغ پردازی درباره فرهنگ ایرانیان در فیلم 300، به هیچ وجه قابل درک نیست. بسی تاریخ نبشته درباره امپراتوری پارس و ایران باستان وجود دارد، در دسترس است و حتا در مدرسه ها تدریس می شود. اینکه میراث فرهنگی ایران بر زندگی همه مردم جهان در طول تاریخ اثر گذاشته است جزو اطلاعات عمومی به شمار می آید. خردمندی و انساندوستی ایرانیان در دورانی که رویدادهای فیلم در آن رخ می دهد، نه توسط خود ایرانیان، بلکه توسط رقیبان و دشمنان آنان گزارش شده است. اینکه فرمانروایان خردمند و آزاداندیش ایران به دشمن، نه برای اشغال خاک آنها بلکه برای ایمن سازی مرزهای خود حمله می کردند، هرگز به کشتار و غارت و برده گیری که عرف زمان بود دست نمی زدند، و همت آنها در آزادسازی مردم در بند در افسانه های ملتها راه یافته است. آنها به ملتهای شکست خورده اجازه می دادند باورهای خود را داشته باشند، آیین های خود را پیروی کنند، جامعه خود را خود اداره نمایند و حتا فرمانروایان را بر آنان تحمیل نمی کردند. یونانیان و اسپارتیان همیشه فرمانروایان ایران باستان را گرامی می داشتند و از روش مدیریتی آنان سرمشق می گرفتند. افزون بر آن، اسپارت تقریبا̊˝ همیشه از ایران کمکهای مالی و نظامی دریافت می کرد و در برابر تجاور یونانیان و مهاجمان دیگر محافظت می شد. مرد خشن و بی رحمی که شما به نام خشایارشاه معرفی کردید، در واقع، بگفته خود یونانیان و اسپارتیانی که در فیلم از آنها کاریکاتوروار تجلیل کرده بودید، مردی متین، خردمند و دادگر بود. چرا را دور بروید؟ به جامعه اقلیت ایرانیان در امریکا را بنگرید که تحصیل کرده ترین، موفق ترین، قانونمندترین و فعال ترین هر جامعه مهاجر نسل اول در امریکا هستند. از اصالت فرهنگی ایرانیان، که شما حتا فراموش کردید در فیلم نشان بدهید، همین کافی که فرمانده نیروی دریایی ایران در این جنگ یک زن بود.
با نمایش دادن یکی ازمتمدن ترین و بافرهنگ ترین ملت های تاریخ بشریت، که جامعه جهانی مدیون تاثیراتشان بر پیشرفت تمدن و دانش و هنر است، به عنوان یک قوم وحشی مهاجم نمی توانسته به دلیل نبودن اطلاعات تاریخی یا عدم ارتباطات فرهنگی بوده باشد. باید انگیزه دیگری را جستجو کرد. از دید بازرگانی و سودجویی، به علت تبلیغات زیادی که اکنون درباره ایران می شود، بخت موفقیت هر فیلمی که خوب ساخته می شد با این فیلم برابر می بود و نیازی که اهریمن سازی ایرانیان نبود. بنابراین، این پرسش باقی می ماند که انگیزه (یا پول) پشتیبان تولید این فیلم چه بوده است؟ من بر این باور هستم که نفوذ کسانی که سرمایه تولید این فیلم را تامین کرده اند بایستی که تاثیرگذار بوده باشد.
این نمی توانسته پول یونانی بوده باشد، زیرا یونانیان مردمی بسیار بافرهنگ هستند و هرگز کوشش در تحقیر فرهنگ و ملت هایی که همیشه مورد ستایش آنها بوده نمی کنند.
این نمی توانسته پول اسراییلی باشد، زیرا آنها همیشه فرهنگ باستانی ایران را ستایش کرده اند، به ویژه خشایارشاه، بایک همسر اسراییلی، نوه کورش بزرگ که یهودیان را از بند رهایی داد و در تورات از او تجلیل شده و او بود که نخستین منشور حقوق بشر تاریخ را صادر نمود.
این پول نومحافظه کاران امریکا نیز نمی توانسته باشد. وقتی آنها به ثروت کشورهای عرب برای اجرای برنامه های علیه ایران دسترسی دارند، دلیلی ندارد پول خودشان را هزینه تبلیغات منفی کودکانه کنند.
تنها کسانی که باقی می مانند، دولتهای نفت خیز و ثروتمند عقده دار همسایه ما هستند. هنگامی که چیزی برای افتخار کردن وبه رخ کشیدن نداشته باشید، کوشش درتحقیر دیگران که "دارند" می کنید. فرهنگ بزرگ ایران همیشه آزارشان داده است. آنها همیشه پول بادآورده خود را برای خنجر زدن به ایران از راه تشویق شیطنت علیه ایران، ایجاد ناآرامی های قومی، ادعاهای موهوم سرزمینی، تلاش در تغییر نامهای تاریخی با رشوه دادن، و نفوذ دادن تروریست ها به مناطق منافع ملی ایران، بکار می برند. اینگونه فرمانروایان هستند که همیشه آمادگی دارند ثروت ملت خود را برای توهین به ملتهایی که چیزهایی دارند که آنها نمی توانند داشته باشند، هزینه کنند. چالش برای تولیدکنندگان فیلم 300، اکنون این است که نام راستین پشتیبانان مالی خود را افشا سازند.
از همه اینها که بگذریم، سودجویی بوسیله دروغگویی، وارونه سازی واقعییات، تحریف تاریخ و در نتیجه فریب دادن جامعه ای که اعتماد می کند، کاری بسیار زشت و ناپسند است.
کورش زعیم
یک فعال سیاسی ایرانی
تهران-21 اسفند 1386 |
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: A letter to Warner Studios about the movie "300" |
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A letter to Warner Studios about the movie "300"
By: Kourosh Zaim
http://www.savepasargad.com/a_letter_to_warner_studios_abut.htm
Warner Brothers Pictures Co.
Attn: Mr. Gianni Nunnari, Producer
Mr. Zack Snyder, Director
Mr. Frank Miller, Author
Subj.: Movie 300: The Bad and the Ugly!
Gentlemen,
Depicting native-Americans as savages during the early periods of Hollywood was not humane, but understandable in the light of official propaganda and the unavailability of historical information about their cultures. There was no written history, no inter-cultural communication and or cultural interaction at the time to prove Hollywood wrong or presume mischief in making deliberately insulting movies. Hollywood soon after found out how wrong it had been and tried to make it up to American Indians by making movies such as “Dances with the Wolves” and many others.
Depicting Black Americans as uncivilized and un-trainable during the early periods of Hollywood was not humane, but understandable in the light of the lingering colonial heritage and the unavailability of historical information about their cultures. There was no written history, no inter-cultural communication or cultural interaction at the time to prove Hollywood wrong or presume mischief in making deliberately insulting movies. Hollywood soon after found out how wrong it had been and tried to make it up to African-Americans by starting to make movies such as “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and many others.
Depicting Italian Americans as gangsters during the early periods of Hollywood was not humane, but understandable due to the fact that the mafia tradition had roots in Italian Sicily and that some Italian hoodlums had found their way to America. Italian-Americans boasted and shared highly revered historical, religious and cultural ties with the West, and nearly all Italian immigrants were law-abiding hard-working citizens and excelled in almost all areas of commerce, sciences and arts. Hollywood soon after realized that Italians have been wrongly role-modeled in movies and made it up to them by starting to romanticize Italy and Italians.
Falsification of history in making the movie 300, however, is by no means understandable. There is written history of ancient Persia available and even taught in schools. Persian cultural heritage which has affected the lives of all mankind is well-known. Accounts of Persian wisdom and righteousness, especially during the period of history in which the movie’s events take place, is reported history not by the Persians, but by their arch enemies. Wise and fair rulers who conquered only to secure own borders, never massacred, looted or enslaved as was the common practice those days. They were always ready to free people enslaved, they allowed the conquered to practice their own beliefs, manage their own societies and even choose their own rulers. Rulers of Persia during that period of history were even respected and idolized by the very Greeks and Spartans. Furthermore, Sparta usually received economic and military aid from Iran and was under Persian protection against the Greeks and other invaders. The violent and uncivilized man you illustrated in your movie as Xerxes, in reality, was a man of serenity, wisdom and fairness according to the same Greeks and Spartans you romanticized so cartoonishly. Need not to go back that far. Take a look at the Iranian minority in the United States who are the highest educated, the most successful, the most law-abiding and the most involved in community activities than any other first generation immigrants. The movie also failed to show another proof of Iranian fair-mindedness that the Commander of Persian Navy in this war was a woman.
Demonstrating one of the most civilized and cultured nations in history, to whose contributions world civilization is indebted, as savages, could not have been for lack of historical information or for lack of inter-cultural communication. There must have been other motives. From the business point of view, any well-made movie involving Iranians would have presented the same potentials for success or failure due to the wide publicity about Iran. Demonization of Iranians would not have been necessary. So, the question remains what motive (or money) was behind making the movie so pointedly insulting? I think the influence of the people who invested in or financed the movie must have been a deciding factor.
It couldn’t have been Greek money, because they are too highly cultured of a people to want to belittle the very nation they have admired throughout history.
It couldn’t have been Israeli money, because they have always admired ancient Persian culture, especially King Xerxes with an Israeli queen, who was the grandson of Cyrus the Great who freed Jews from captivity, is revered in Torah, and who created world’s first Bill if Human Rights.
It could not even have been the American neo-conservative money though they nurture the pipe dream of dissecting and cutting Iran down to size. When they have easy access to Arab money for mischief against Iran, why should they spend their own funds on frivolities?
That leaves certain national identity complex ridden oil-rich states in our neighborhood. When you have nothing to brag about, you try to belittle others who have. Iranian identity and culture has always bothered them. So, they use their easy-come money to stab Iran by funding mischief against Iran, fueling ethnic unrest, dreaming up territorial claims, bribing to change historical names and helping infiltration of terrorists into areas of Iranian national interest. They are the type of financiers who are willing to spend the riches that belong to their people for the pleasure of insulting the cultural “haves”. The challenge for the producers of 300 is now to reveal the real identity of their financial backers.
All told, trying to make money by telling lies, twisting facts, fabricating history, thus misinforming the unsuspecting public, is ugly.
Sincerely yours,
Kourosh Zaim
An Iranian political activist
kourosh_zaim@yahoo.com
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نامه ای به شرکت برادران وارنر درباره فیلم 300
از کوروش زعيم
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:09 pm Post subject: In Search of Cyrus the Great part 2 |
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In Search of Cyrus the Great part 2 Video Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xr8LrXpcJ4
Dear Compatriots,
Iranians are the most affluent and educated minority group in America. If we set our minds to it, we could literally change the world. This Norooz, I hope all Iranians, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, resolve to finally unite in an effort to redeem the reputation of our ancestors.
ActivistChat agrees with Director Cyrus Kar regarding The Power Of Film. We have reviewed the documentary excellent final post-production business plan that needs another $400,000 to finish and we highly recommend to support this effort financially now as much as you can ASAP by clicking the link below:
Please Help NOW Cyrus The Great Film Documentary By Director Cyrus Kar
Your financial help for post-production of a ground-breaking documentary film titled, ‘In Search Of Cyrus The Great will be spent for the following segments:
1.) Image Editing fees (Editor & Assistant Editor)
2.) Computer Animation to Recreate Battle Scenes (15 min.)
3.) Sound Editor fees
4.) Music Composer fees
5.) Rights and Clearances of Licensed Music and Archival Footage fees
6.) Titles and Opticals fees
7.) Sound Mix and Master Copy fees
8.) Promotion & Advertising fees
9.) Transfer to 35mm film with Optical Sound fees
10.) Legal Services fees
For more information please visit: http://www.spentaproductions.com
Happy Norooz,
ActivistChat
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject: 300 Spartan Barbarians: freedom fighters or guardians of bon |
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300 Spartan Barbarians: freedom fighters or guardians of bondage?
Mar 21, 2007
Bahman Aghai Diba PhD International Law - Persian Journal
http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_21035.shtml
They kill ambassadors. They murder the POWs. They kill those who are wounded in war. They sent the most beautiful girls of their cities to top of a mountain to be gang raped by the ugliest lepers and while the poor girls start hallucination out of misery and pain, the lepers pretend that the "oracle" is speaking through them. They separate children forcefully from their mothers and teach them to be ruthless and illogical killing machines that enjoy being blood thirsty animals.
Who are these barbarians?
According to the newly released product of the Hollywood dream factory, the film called "300" these savages are the Spartans.
Who are they fighting?
They are fighting against the successors of the Cyrus the Great, the King of Persia. The king who freed the Jews from bondage in Babylon, and helped them return home and establish their temples. His name is repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament as the savior, freedom fighter and liberator. He wrote the first decoration of human rights and defended the rights of all peoples to worship their own Gods and live freely. The Persian Empire was not a slave empire. Although the Archimedean Kings ruled vast territories from the coasts of the Mediterranean to India, they never treated the other nations as slaves.
The film "300" is totally based on biased fictions written by the historians such as the greatest liar of all times, Herodothes. It claims that 300 Spartans killed one million Iranians because they simply hold their shields over their heads (a normal practice of all armies in the ancient times). They call the Persians as barbarians in the film.
It is interesting to know that the word "barbarians" was invented hundreds of years after the date of the film's events, by the Romans. The Romans used to call the nations which were not subject to the laws of the Roman Empire, as barbarians. In fact the first nation that they addressed in this way was the Gauls (the French). The Romans believed that the Gaul's language sounded like the "Ba'a, Ba'a" of the sheep and for the same reason they called them: barbarians. By the same standards, and even by present meaning of the word, it seems that the Spartans were the exact examples of the barbarians.
It is not important that the films are made on the basis of the fake historical assumptions. This is a general practice of the dream factory. However, it is good to take such opportunities to make the historical mistakes subjects of public discussions.
While the present Government of the Islamic Republic in Iran is treating the people of this country as the inhabitants of the occupied territories, and the suppressive forces of the Islamic Republic act the occupying authority, and it has taken measures to destroy the ancient tomb of the Cyrus the Great in Pasargad of Iran, it is not fair to expect the aliens to give any explanations that : why the Iranians are portrayed as black degenerate people, why the King of Persia looks like a member of the hip hop gangs, why the Iranians wear everything ( Indian , Chinese, African and Indonesian), except than their own customs?
Looking at the film in a careful way, reveal that despite all efforts to tarnish the Persians' image, it is the Persian side that tries many times to solve the problems through diplomacy and compromise. Also, looking at the practices and laws of the Spartans, it seems that they are in fact guardians of the corrupt system, run by the gang of lepers, and it is the forces of Persian Empire who are the harbingers of freedom for the people. |
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:34 pm Post subject: Sparta heterosexual relationship |
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.Aristotle also wrote that Sparta belonged to the type of military society that was based on heterosexual relationship, unlike other Greek states of his time.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta
Poor knowledge on Spartan traditions is the result of Sparta's secrecy. Most modern theories are based on assumptions derived from ancient sources and parallels drawn between Sparta and contemporary Dorian Greek societies such as Crete. Some scholars assume that the custom of pederasty paralleled the mentoring relations between Spartan males and adolescent boys, common in Dorian societies. Some of the ancient scholars seem to have supported an opposing view: Xenophon writes that Lycurgus efficiently managed to cultivate chaste pederasty in the Spartan society.[16] This however tends to be viewed as an attempt of praise towards Sparta, and not necessarily as a sincere remark. Aristotle also wrote that Sparta belonged to the type of military society that was based on heterosexual relationship, unlike other Greek states of his time. However, an examination of the historical details reveals that "references to particular homosexual attachments of Spartans are conspicuous even by Greek standards".[16] Cicero furthermore asserts that, "The Lacedaemonians, while they permit all things except outrage (hubris, referring here to homosexual coitus) in the love of youths, certainly distinguish the forbidden by a thin wall of partition from the sanctioned, for they allow embraces and a common couch to lovers.'[17] In antiquity it was thought that a youth was expected to find himself an older lover, and that pederasty, a social practice common throughout most of Greece, was especially so in Sparta, where the ephors fined any eligible man who did not have chaste relationships with youths.[18]
See Spartan pederasty |
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject: New York Persian/Iranian Parade 2007, protesting movie 300 |
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New York Persian/Iranian Parade 2007, protesting movie 300
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject: Professor takes bullets meant for his class |
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Professor takes bullets meant for his class
Liviu Librescu: Holocaust Survivor & Campus Hero Video Clip
Articles regarding Hero professor Liviu Librescu :
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Liviu+Librescu
Quote: |
Hero professor Liviu Librescu shot dead as he shielded students from Virginia gunman
Last updated at 11:15am on 17th April 2007
Comments (7)
Hero professor Liviu Librescu saved the lives of students by barricading the door against the gunman before being shot dead
Headlines'This is where it all ends. End of the road': Chilling words before the slaughter
An Israeli lecturer who died in the massacre at a U.S. university saved the lives of several students by blocking the doorway of his classroom from the approaching gunman before he was fatally shot, his son said Tuesday.
Students of Liviu Librescu, 75, an engineering science and mathematics lecturer in at Virginia Tech for 20 years, sent e-mails to his wife, Marlena, telling of how he blocked the gunman's way and saved their lives, said the son, Joe.
"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," Joe Librescu said in a telephone interview from his home outside of Tel Aviv. "Students started opening windows and jumping out."
Liviu Librescu, was respected in his field, his son said.
"His work was his life in a sense," Joe Librescu said. "That was a good place for him to practice his research."
The couple immigrated to Israel from Romania in 1978 and then moved to Virginia in 1985 for his sabbatical, but had stayed since then, said Joe Librescu, who himself studied at the school from 1989 to 1994.
In Monday's massacre, a gunman killed 32 people at the Virginia university before committing suicide. It was the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. |
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:49 pm Post subject: Cho Seung-Hui & Oldboy: Killer May Have Re-Enacted Viole |
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boy Cho's pose (right) is identical to a scene in ultra-violent film Old
Quote: | Cho Seung-Hui & Oldboy: Killer May Have Re-Enacted Violent Film
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By Nancy Streets
Apr 19, 2007
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612811.shtml
Police investigating the Virginia Tech killings are looking at whether Cho Seung-Hui was copying parts of a violent film titled 'Oldboy' when he murdered 32 people and killed himself in a massacre earlier this week. "Oldboy," from the respected director Chan-woo Park, is about a man unjustly imprisoned for 15 years. After escaping, he goes on a rampage against his captor. In one scene, he dispatches more than a dozen henchmen with the aid of a hammer, reports the Associated Press.
Cho Seung-Hui & Oldboy: Killer May Have Re-Enacted Violent Film
In the package of materials that Cho Seung-Hui sent to NBC News, one photo shows the killer brandishing a hammer in a pose similar to one from the film
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A report from Sky News notes that police officers believe he repeatedly watched Oldboy as part of his preparation for the killing spree. The film, which won the Grand Prix award at the 2004 Cannes film festival, has been described as "an ultra-violent movie of obsession and revenge." It contains stylized scenes of killings and an attempted suicide, and is filled with what one critic called "punishing emotional violence."
Cho's video diary, along with his collection of movies, writings and that fact that he bought a gun last month reveal that, rather than the killing spree being a spontaneous event, he had planned the massacre in advance.
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AP notes in another report that one blogger for the Huffington Post, filmmaker Bob Cesca, dismissed the connection as "the most ridiculous hypothesis yet" about the Virginia Tech massacre.
There was no apparent link between Cho and "Oldboy" besides the lone photograph among the 28 video clips, 23-page written message and 43 self-portrait photos that he sent to NBC. Cho killed the 32 victims with a handgun and a pistol, not a hammer. He did not seem to reference the film in any of his notes or messages.
But Sky News speculates that the fact that he seems to have been influenced by the film will re-ignite the debate over whether violence in movies and video games can lead to people becoming more violent themselves.
The trailer is here |
OldBoy Trailer Video Clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF4eMIq065Q
OldBoy - Fight and Torture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Ekc5mLmq4
Quote: |
VT Killer's Hammer Pose Resembles Movie
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Apr19/0,4670,VirginiaTechMovieInspiration,00.html
Thursday, April 19, 2007
By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer
E-MAIL STORY PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
NEW YORK — One of the photographs in the Virginia Tech killer's "multimedia manifesto" may have been inspired by a bloody South Korean movie.
"Oldboy," from the respected director Chan-woo Park, is about a man unjustly imprisoned for 15 years. After escaping, he goes on a rampage against his captor. In one scene, he dispatches more than a dozen henchmen with the aid of a hammer.
In the package of materials that Cho Seung-Hui sent to NBC News, one photo shows the killer brandishing a hammer in a pose similar to one from the film.
"Oldboy," the second film in Park's "Vengeance Trilogy," won the Gran Prix prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
The connection was spotted by Professor Paul Harris of Virginia Tech, who alerted authorities, according to London's Evening Standard. The similarities have prompted speculation, especially in online forums, that Cho's entire massacre may have been inspired by "Oldboy."
Notorious killers are commonly linked to movies or music. One blogger for the Huffington Post, filmmaker Bob Cesca, dismissed the connection as "the most ridiculous hypothesis yet" about the Virginia Tech massacre. |
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