Ali Akbar Sadeghi

“Facing the Rook” is a film about the contemporary Iranian artist, Ali Akbar Sadeghi. It is a free interpretation of his dreams and poems. the story revolves around the artist's latest piece, an artwork with a clear violent expression that is different from his other pieces given the artist's past struggle with depression, the family is concerned about his emotional state and his sons decide to hire a team of psychoanalysts the process sparks an idea in their mind to make a film about their father.

The Rook made in 1974 is the establishment of sadeghi’s style in reference to Persian painting and miniature. The chess board act as witness to a game in progress. The players move their pieces until two kings remain and the game back to continue from the beginning which represent ongoing metaphor of political power games. The humorous piece of animation looks at the absurdity of war, politics and stance of society in between these notions.

Zal o Simorgh is an epic from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Zal is an albino new-born child. Sam as his father (The King) who has never seen an albino child, gets worried and his fear of gossip of people flares his anger and he orders that the new-born be left under the Alborz Mountain. Simorgh the mythical bird finds the naked and hungry baby and takes little Zal to its nest and looks after him until one day...

Zal o Simorgh is an epic from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Zal is an albino new-born child. Sam as his father (The King) who has never seen an albino child, gets worried and his fear of gossip of people flares his anger and he orders that the new-born be left under the Alborz Mountain. Simorgh the mythical bird finds the naked and hungry baby and takes little Zal to its nest and looks after him until one day...

"Among ...Sadeghi's most iconic projects during his time at Kanoon was Malek ol-Khorshid (King of the Sun, 1975), a magical animation inspired by the tenth-century Persian epic The Shahnameh (The Book of Kings)." (from Ubu Web)

This film combines elements from Iranian epics, street wit and humor, and is in fact an animation of what Sadeghi considers his main artistic inspiration, namely Iranian folklore and storytelling screens.

This film combines elements from Iranian epics, street wit and humor, and is in fact an animation of what Sadeghi considers his main artistic inspiration, namely Iranian folklore and storytelling screens.

Sadeghi’s second film made in 1972, advances his style by accentuating on modern usage of Persian miniatures. The story gets along with the hippism ambience of 1970’s about peace. Flower Storm tells of the inhabitants of two towns who lives in peace and harmony until their kings start to fight over a bird they both have shot down while hunt-ing. War breaks out but children of the town during the night, substitute flowers for the cannon balls. The next day, there exists not a battle but flower storm.

A story about love...

An animation based on 40 pieces of oil paintings by Ali Akbar Sadeghi which illustrates an ongoing regional confliction of world powers over Middle-Eastern countries. It has commissioned by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Iran.