Hassanlou Cup: The Tale of the One Who Asks. 1966. Iran. Written and directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani. Narrated by Manouchehr Anvar. DCP. In Persian; English subtitles. 20 min.
This documentary goes beyond the rote exploration of a unique archaeological artifact to offer a profound meditation on Iran’s spirituality, literature, and history from antiquity to the present day. As he scrutinizes the intricate engravings on the Hassanlou Cup, a gold receptacle from c. 800 BC that was only rediscovered in 1958, Aslani unveils mythological stories involving the worship of Mithra, the pre-Zoroastrian god of the sun, justice, and war. The soundtrack weaves the history of modern Iran together with tales of the mystic Mansour Hallaj’s suffering, as narrated by the 12th-century poet Farid al-Din Attar.
Al-Biruni. 1970. Iran. Written and directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani. DCP. In Persian; English subtitles. 15 min.
Presented here for the first time since a commemorative screening in Iran some 55 years ago, Al-Biruni celebrates the titular 10th-century Kharazmian scholar and polymath of the so-called Islamic Golden Age. Aslani reconstructs scenes of Al-Biruni’s life in Kath—now the village of Beruniy in the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan in northwest Uzbekistan—as well as his contributions to anthropology and comparative religion. The filmmaker examines a 1,000-year-old miniature believed to be Al-Biruni’s only surviving likeness, along with his writings and scientific instruments.
Hassanlou Cup: I Said to Contemplate This Dividing. 2016. Iran. Written and directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani. Narrated by Manouchehr Anvar, Amin Aslani. DIgItal. In Persian; English subtitles. 30 min.
For the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Hassanlou Cup, Aslani revisited the subject of his 1966 debut film, employing new digital zoom and color technologies and interweaving his own modern poetic verses with those of the 12th-century poet Attar. The film is a portrait of the artist as an older and more contemplative man.
Program 65 min.