Jong-e Farhangi – January 10, 2019
January Jong was hosted by Ali Sadr. The first guest was Majid Fadaeian, a painter and researcher who talked about the history of Iran’s Royal Library, located at Golestan Palace. Parvin Heydarinasab, calligrapher and sculptor, was the second guest of this event who talked about women’s roles in the development and expansion of calligraphy in Iran. The audience and guests participated in a Q&A session at the end of the event.
Solo Concert – January 11, 2020
Nima Janmohammadi’s solo concert was held at the Iranian American Center (IAC) in San Diego on January 11. The concert was improvisation on Oud, Setar, and Kamancheh.
Candlelight Vigil – January 12, 2020
In recognition of the 176 precious lives that perished in the tragic downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, the House of Iran, along with the Persian Cultural Center (PCC) and Association of Iranian American Professionals (AIAP), held a candlelight vigil in front of the House of Iran at Balboa Park on January 12.
A Night of Poetry and Literature – January 15, 2019
The poetry night was held at IAC on January 15. The poet selected for this month was Forough Farokhzad. The event was moderated by Farshad Babakhani and the Poetry & Literature group.
Movie and Discussion Series – January 17, 2020
The January movie selection was Life and a Day (2016), directed by Saeed Roustavi. The movie is about Somaieh, the youngest daughter of a family, who is getting married, and the fear of each and every member of the family regarding how to overcome their difficulties after she is gone. Payman Moadi and Navid Mohamadzadeh played the main characters. The movie was awarded seven Crystal Simorgh awards at the Fajr Film Festival in Tehran. After the screening, Mahmoud Pirouzian facilitated a discussion on the different aspects of the film.
“Barzakh” Art Gallery – January 18 to February 16, 2020
Gallery Yellow, in conjunction with PCC, held an art exhibition under the title of “Barzakh” (“Purgatory”), showcasing the sculptures of Parvin Heidarinasab and the painting/prints of Majid Fadaeian. Many San Diegans and art lovers attended the opening night, January 18. The gallery was open to the public from January 18 to February 16.
Stage Reading of Orange Garden – January 25, 2020
Orange Garden by Joanna Garner, is the title of a stage reading which was performed at the IAC on January 25. The play was directed by Mahmoud Behrouzian and performed in English by Shelby Becker, Tony Flores, Babak Shahrokh, Shadi Mohebi, and Ali Pirouzian.
Docunight – February 5, 2020
The documentary Fight Feast (prod. 2018), directed by Seyed Vahid Hosseini, was screened in the month of February. This documentary is about the vicissitudes of Iranian music between 1979-1989, focusing on the confrontation between music and politics, and the resulting restrictions and obstacles as told by musicians, composers, and state authorities. After the movie, an audience discussion was moderated by Ali Khorsandian.
Jong-e Farhangi – February 14, 2020
February Jong was hosted by Reza Khabazian, who discussed “Ferdowsi” in the opening section. The second section was a discussion with Dr. Hossein Ronaghi about the crisis of immigration of physicians, and in the third section, Arash Kamalian played a few pieces on tar. The evening ended with a Q&A session.
A Night of Poetry and Literature – February 19, 2020
The poet selected for this month was Omar Khayyam. The event was moderated by Farshad Babakhani and the Poetry & Literature group.
Movie and Discussion Series – February 21, 2020
The February movie selection was Sound and Fury (2016), directed by Houman Seyyedi. The movie is about Khosrow, a famous married singer involved with a troublesome affair and the consequences of fame. Tannaz Tabatabaei and Navid Mohamadzadeh played the main characters. The movie received the Crystal Simorgh award in the Fajr Film Festival for cinematography and directing. After the screening, Rana Salimi facilitated a discussion on the different aspects of the film with attendees.
PCC’s Board Meetings
PCC’s board of directors holds its meetings every second Wednesday of the month at IAC. The last two meetings took place on January 8 and February 12, 2020.
