Inside Iran

by Mark Edward Harris, Abbas Kiarostami (Foreword), عباس کیارستمی

The Islamic Republic of Iran is at the center of world attention politically, socially, and culturallybut it remains largely a cipher to the West. Award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris has traveled throughout Iran to produce the first contemporary photographic book on a place seldom seen or understood. His images of daily life offer a fascinating look at a society of juxtapositionsancient and modern, commercial and spiritual, serene and intense, political and personal. With chapter introductions and extended captions providing context for the images, Inside Iran is a crucial look at a country whose future is likely to influence our own.

Genres: Nonfiction, Iran, Art, Photography, Politics, History

208 pages, Hardcover

First published July 2, 2008

Reviews

[Fereshteh · Rating 2 out of 5]

دو تا ستاره به خاطر این که عکاس محترم فقط پنجاه درصدی که خودش دوست داشت رو دید و ثبت کرد و به بقیه نشون داد و از باقی ماجرا غافل شد

[Mohammad Ali Shamekhi · Rating 2 out of 5]

1) درباره ی عکاس و قصد او

هریس، عکاس این مجموعه، آنگونه که در مقدمه می گوید زمانی تصمیم به انجام این سفر و عکاسی از ایران گرفت که تنش در رابطه ی ایران و غرب اوج گرفته بود و مدتی می گذشت از آن روزی که بوش پسر ایران را از کشورهای محور شرارت خوانده بود. مسأله ی هسته ای هم بادی بود بر این آتش. هریس حس می کرد شناخت ایران هر روزه و دیدن آن جنبه هایی از زندگی که در رسانه ها دیده نمی شوند در این مقطع ضروری است

او که طبق گفته خود سابقه سفر به هشتاد کشور را دارد و قبل از این به کره ی شمالی هم رفته بوده، در دو سفر با فاصله ای کوتاه به ایران آمد و سعی کرد تصاویری از زندگی روزمره ی ایرانیان عرضه کند

2) درباره ی پیشگفتار کیارستمی

پیشگفتار کوتاه کیارستمی بر این کتاب گفتاری است ساده و قاطع در ابراز برخی عقاید کیارستمی در مورد عکاسی. او همان ابتدا به انتقاد از اصطلاح "طبیعت بی جان" می پردازد و آن را خودمتناقض می شمارد؛ تا بدانجا که می گوید حتی جسد یک پرنده را نباید خالی از زندگی شمرد بلکه خود گشاینده ی افقی است به سوی مرگ؛ که خود مرحله ای است از آمد و شد زندگانی

او عکاسی را ثبت لحظه های جادویی و شگفت حیات می داند، بی آنکه زندگی از آن گرفته شود. به قول خود او گرچه ظاهرا امری را ثبت و ضبط می کنیم برای فرا رفتن از زندگی اما در واقع باز پرتوی زندگی است که از این پنجره ی گشوده داخل می شود

سپس به این مجموعه عکس می پردازد و به سراغ حضور پررنگ انسان در عکس های هریس می رود. او اذعان می کند که خود در عکس هایش از به تصویر کشیدن انسان ها ابا دارد اما این تصویر در عکس های هریس را گشاینده ی افقی می داند؛ از نظر کیارستمی تقابل آثار تاریخی و انسان های معاصر در عکس های هریس بیانگر دوراهی بنیادین قرن حاضر است: امر زمانی در برابر امر سرمدی. و در این دوراهی به گمان کیارستمی آشکارا انتخاب ما چیزی نیست جز زندگی

برای او عکس نه چیزی است از سنخ توهم و نه صرف نمایاندن واقع؛ دقت و تمرکز عکاسی برملاکردن داستان واقعیت است

3) نظر من در مورد مجموعه

عکس های این مجموعه افت و خیر فراوانی دارند، از عکس های الکی درش می توان یافت تا عکس های کوبنده

زن ها و دختران - خصوصا دانش آموزان و دانش جویان - از آن سوژه هایی هستند که عکاس هر جا رفته دنبال عکس گرفتن از آنها بوده. سوژه ی دیگری که باز حضور پررنگی دارد کودکان هستند و به نظرم عکس های مربوط به کودکان عموما جزو عکس های خوب این مجموعه اند. سوژه ی جذاب دیگر برای نویسنده جنبه های مدرن تر شیوه ی زندگی ایرانی است

متاسفانه در این مورد یکی از رقت انگیزترین بخش های این کتاب رقم خورده، چون به نظر من عکس ها خیلی عقب مانده تر از واقعیت هستند ( به طور خاص بخشی که به تهران می پردازد حداقل به نظر من به شدت نحیف و غیرواقعی است ). در مورد عکس های دختران و زنان هم به نظرم باز همین رقت وجود دارد - خیلی سطح ها پایین تر از واقع گرفته شده ( به طور خاص در شهرهای بزرگ ). کلا به گمانم جز چند عکس خوب بقیه اش بیشتر از جالب بودن عجیب یا حتی داغون به نظر می رسیدند

عکس هایی که من بیشتر دوست داشتم عکس های صفحات 34، 58، 59، 61، 82، 111، 123، 128 و 162 بودند

[Pouria · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, the photographs were too amateurish which, among all of his photos, there were less than 10 significant photographs.
Second, the photographs were too biased and restricted to religious contexts and there are so many other aspects and things in Iran which are not depicted in this book.
To sum up, both the contents and photographic quality of this book were superficial and it is not a good book to know how is life in Iran especially nowadays, due to the fact that it has neglected many facets of Iranian lives.

[La Crosse Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inside Iran is an excellent, concise book explaining the contemporary political landscape of Iran. The book gives a brief history of the region, and goes over the current culture, government, an societal structure. The book shines a light on Iran's positive aspects rarely discussed by our media or politicians, while also not shying away from the problems in Iran like human rights violations and non-Democratic structures.

The book explains the American hostility toward Iran as a combination of Israeli and Saudi governmental influence and oil industry special interests, not a result of any threat Iran poses to the United States. Ironically, many of the problems Iranians face today are the result of US intervention in Iran and the surrounding region. This is a book everyone should read to better understand the nature of the US-Iran conflict, and counter the harmful narratives in our mainstream media and politics.

~Peter, Library Assistant

[Ghazaal B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slighest trace of Abbas Kiarostami is a more than enough reason for me to read a book.
In this case, I confess I'm a bit disappointed.
I'm at a very strange phase where I'm obsessed with this belief that "Photography as an Art" is dead. And that is since street photography is becoming more than a trend and a way for one to assert an artistic mind and Pov. Though the results are merely a practice for framing and composition than a photograph with an idea, a story or a message.
Though that's the point. Is structural(and in most cases coincidental) beauty in a photo enough for it to be categorized as "art"? Is it a way with which we can add up to our artistic credit?
That's quite a mental challenge for me and is somehow preventing me from pressing my shutter (and even sometimes driving me as far as calling my fellow street photographers' work, pretentious and empty).
As an anti-thesis, I've started going through photography books although I'm totally clueless in that criteria too. (Any suggestions are more than welcomed).

Anyway. This book is supposed to be looked at from a foreigner's point of view. Which was not the easiest thing for me (as an Iranian) to do. Though as I went further in the pictures I started admiring this man's bravery. The book has pictures of military bases and very politically sensitive content that could have gotten him in huge trouble and despite awareness of this whole shit, he went on and hit the shutter anyway. That is truly admirable. But generally, I think it's normal for an outsider to find everything super interesting since it's nothing like ehat they have ever seen before. I believe when it comes to photographing anther country, another nation with whole other traditions and beliefs, the most trustable opinion on the images can only come from within that society. Coming from me as an individual, I find "most" of the pictures very very very very very ordinary. As harsh as that may sound. :-/

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A photography book about Iran. Quick and enjoyable read. I'm not an expert on Iranian / Middle Eastern Politics, so I can't judge whether the Author's remarks on the book are one-sided.

The book captures lots of different places throughout Iran, from the east to the west. From beautiful landscapes, century-old arts, traditional marketplaces, modern shopping malls, stunning architectures, etc. Iran wasn't as "ugly" as most media said. While some of the places are war-torn as a result of the previous war, one can still find beauty in Iran

[syams2666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Persia pernah jadi pusat kebudayaan dunia. Sayang di era sekarang Persia seolah redup kecuali film-filmnya. Film Iran sering masuk nominasi dan memenangi penghargaan di festival film dunia. Film-film garapan Kiarostami, Makhmalbaf, Farhadi, dan Majidi memberikan saya sedikit gambaran bagaimana kehidupan sosial, arsitektur kota, dan kondisi geografis di Iran. Kemudian buku ini hadir memberikan kuliah rohani tentang Iran melalui foto-foto gang sempit, mural di tembok, pernak-pernik di pasar, dan keindahan masjidnya.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coffee table book meets my standards for the genre: quality and size of photos, sturdy paper, a minimum of text and a balance of people culture and scenery.

I like that it is geographically arranged. It starts with a map showing the country and its many neighbors. There is an introductory paragraph for each area's chapter.

Coffee table books should have big photos (so I think), especially now that we can see small ones on the internet, and this book meets that criteria. There are several double page shots of city and country scapes.

On the negative side, the chapter introductions are on black paper, which pulls down the photo on the opposite page and makes the text, no matter which color is used, hard on the eyes. While I am not a good judge of what the balance of content should be in a book on Iran, two things were missing that I did want to see depicted. One is North Tehran, not only a streetscape, but how the women there dress (presumably more stylishly?) in public. The other, the remembrances for the martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War. I understand there are elaborate memorials and would have liked to see one or two.

[' Syamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bacaan santai tentang politik, sejarah dan tempat menarik di Iran. Banyak gambar-gambar menarik dapat penulis ambil walaupun keadaan di sana kita tahu bahaya bagi pelancong yang sesuka hati klik gambar. Silap hari bulan nyawa melayang.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really beautiful photographs from Iran.