TEHRAN, May 2--Renowned Indian poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore visited Iran in 1932 at the invitation of the then government. He stayed in Iran for 40 days, according to the monthly Hafiz.
Late professor Isa Sadiq, in the second volume of his memoirs, provided the details of the poet’s stay in Iran.
According to him, Tagore visited the historical cities of Isfahan and Shiraz during his stay in the country.
He also delivered several lectures at the Culture Ministry, Iran’s Literary Society and Alborz College, which were highly acclaimed by the audience.
The then Iranian government hailed his academic status on the occasion of his 72nd birthday.
A number of noted Iranian scholars met with him when he was in Iran.
Tagore wrote a sentence in English in the notebook of an Iranian scholar. The sentence reads: “When the reasoning mind matures in love it is wisdom.“
Tagore was born in Calcutta, India into a wealthy Brahmin family in 1861 and died in his hometown in 1941. He won the 1913 Nobel Prize for literature. May 8 marks his 144th birth anniversary.

TEHRAN, May 2--The filming of the documentary ’Persepolis’, directed by the German filmmaker Gotz Baloiener, at Takht-e Jamshid, Pasargad, Shoush, Choghazanbil and Bistoon has been completed, reported ISNA.
Director of the project in Iran, Fereshteh Taerpour said that a section of the film was shot by the German crew at Berlin Museum before the filming team visited Iran. In the later stage, filming will be conducted in Frankfurt as well as a center in which a noted German researcher will recreate scenes of Persepolis using computerized designs.
She further noted that the film will be broadcast on channel one of German TV, which is also available in France.
The entire technical crew involved in filming the documentary, except the sound track recorder, is German.

TEHRAN, May 2--Popular film star Akbar Abdi said that arts should be used to stimulate happiness in the community and alleviate the hardship, IRNA said.
Abdi, who was speaking in a campaign meeting in which Ali Larijani former head of IRIB and a preidential candidate addressed the artists, said that the artists can contribute to the people’s joys by holding cultural and artistic programs through which the general public will be encouraged to lead a dynamic and active lifestyle and enjoy life.
Abdi, who is a master in both historical and comic films, regretted the absence of joy in the community and hoped that officials will adopt a new program to replace the current state of depression with joy.
He appealed to the artists to think about the psychological ailment of the public and use their talent to remedy depression.

A portrait of Fath Ali Shah (AFP File Photo)

LONDON, May 2--The Fifth Annual Conference of International Qajar Studies Association (IQSA) will be held on June 15-16 at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
The two-day gathering called ’War and Security in the Qajar Era in Iran: Implications Past and Present’, is organized by IQSA together with Cambridge Security Program, reported CHN.
The conference aims to engage scholars of Persian and Persian Gulf history in discussion with those specializing in political, international, and security studies. It will also offer a unique forum in which to investigate regional strategic patterns that have renewed implications in today’s rapidly changing security environment.
The conference will be the first to encourage a multidisciplinary approach to unraveling historical, cultural and geopolitical linkages to questions of security. The conference will be followed by a book, and special issue of the Qajar Studies Journal.
Peter Avery and Roxane Farmanfarmaian from the Center for International Studies and The Cambridge Security Program, a member of Iran Heritage Foundation Fellow, University College, Northampton, Stephani Cronin as well as Manouchehr M. Eskandari-Qajar, Mansoureh Ettehadieh (Nezam-Mafie) from IQSA will deliver speeches at the conference.
’Military Reform in Qajar Iran: A Reassessment’, ’The Revolt of Salar Dowleh’, ’The Question of Oil and Frontiers: Persia, Afghanistan, Russia, Ottoman Empire’ are among the papers which will be presented in the event.

TEHRAN, May 2--The book 󈧻-word Stories’ written by American author Steve Mas and translated by Gita Gorgani has been published in pocket edition in Persian and English, according to IRNA.
The book includes 115 stories and each story has only 55 words. The original text of the stories is also available on the facing page for those interested in comparative study.
Structures of the stories are similar to each other in terms of number of the words used for every story and the style of writing, however, the subjects vary. Sometimes, the author uses satire in the stories. He also brings up humanitarian concepts as well as love, treason and crime in the context of the 55-word stories.
The author believes that writing stories in 55 words is the best style to effectively communicate with readers. Of course, the words have been selected precisely to make them more effective.
Mas said in the preface of the book: “How short can a good story be and remain a good story? What is the limitation for a good story to satisfy the reader? I think I’ve found the answer and since the book is in your hand right now, you have also found the reply.
“Think just a moment. The paragraph you’ve read was only 55 words. It is ridiculously meager. Isn’t it. How is it possible to convey a message or quality with only 55 words. I think that it can be the normal way of telling a story. It has enough efficiency as well.“
Gorgani said in the introduction to the translation that the stories of the book are made up of only 55 English words and the author has spent several years in compiling them.
The book by Steve Mas has been translated into several languages and enthusiastically received by readers across the world.

MASHHAD, Khorasan Razavi, May 2--Graphic art is flourishing as a means of communication, observed an instructor of Mashhad University, Bavandian.
Speaking in a Conference on International Day of Graphic Arts in Mashhad, Alireza Bavandian told ISNA that graphic art has been used extensively as means of communication since the second half of 20th century.
It has made remarkable progress and is placed in the category of modern arts. Therefore, three arts are the outcome of modern world: cinema, photography and graphic arts, he noted.
He said that graphics means to carve and engrave on surface of something and that it has been a popular art for many years. “It is not true that graphic art has come from the West. Elementary designs from the past can be regarded as the origin of graphic art.“
Graphic arts have many applications he said citing traffic signs, caricature, educational aids and many other areas that are being used in public life.
“Sometimes, graphic arts are used in service of the economy by applying it for advertisement designs. Graphic art is also responsible for representing intellectual perceptions for example in the form of posters.“
Bavandian, who is the model researcher of Khorasan province, said, “We should work to promote graphic art and help components of this art connect other arts.“
April 27, was the International Day for Graphic Arts.
He said that the International Council for Graphic Design Associations, of which Iran is a member, was established in London in 1963.

TEHRAN, May 2--The first cinema center for children and young adults is currently in the planning stage, announced a film producer Bijan Birang.
Speaking to ILNA, he said this would be the first experience of its kind and although preliminary steps have been taken to set up such a center, different sectors are expected to support the cinema for children and young adults.
The support should be rendered in four sections: 1. Municipality support for construction of cinema center and making billboards available for advertisement, 2. Systematic cooperation of the Education Ministry, 3. Financial support by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in the production of films and 4. Contribution by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in the advancement of films for children and young adults.
Birang criticized those involved in the film industry for neglecting the children and young adults and their failure to communicate well with their audience. “Sometimes the films seem so strange to children and young adults,“ he said citing films the broadcast on the IRIB during Norouz holidays.
“Some complain about expensive cinema ticket, but, they should ask the children and young adults why they do not want to go to cinema but would rather go to the fast food shops and stand in line to get sandwich. This is while movie theaters screening films for children and the young adults are almost empty.“
Birang believed that producing acceptable films for children is as important as making films about Imam Ali (AS) and Imam Reza (AS), the first and eighth Imams of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) infallible household.
He said that he IRIB has advanced mechanisms for recording public opinion on a variety of subjects and that the national media should ask the opinions of children and young adults about films which are being produced for them.