Haji Agha, the Cinema Actor

Haji Agha, the Cinema Actor (in Persian: حاجی آقا آکتور سینما; transliterated as Haji Agha Aktor-e Cinema) is a 1933[2] Iranian comedy[3] film directed by Iranian-Armenian director, Ovannes Oganian and one of a few remaining Iranian silent films.[4] This was Ohaninan's second film in Iran after the success of Abi and Rabi, his first silent film. The film reflects the clash between tradition and modernity in Iranian society in the early 1930s.[5] While Abi and Rabi did well commercially, Haji Agha Aktor-e Cinema did not succeed at the box office due to its technical shortcomings and the fact that its release coincided with the first Persian talkie, Dokhtar-e Lor.[6]

Haji Agha, the Cinema actor
Full film
Directed byOvanes Ohanian
Produced byOvanes Ohanians
Habibollah Morad
Maghasedzadeh Foroozin
Written byOvanes Ohanian
StarringHabibollah Morad
Asia Qostanian
Zema Ohanians
Abbas khan Tahbaz
CinematographyPaolo Potomkin
Ebrahim Moradi [1]
Edited byOvanes Ohanian
Production
company
Pers Film
Release date
1933
Running time
75 minutes
CountryIran
LanguageSilent

The film tells the story of a director (played by Ohanian) is searching for a subject for his film, when he receives a suggestion to film Haji Agha, a wealthy conservative man. Haji’s daughter, son-in-law, and servant help the director orchestrate a series of events that enable the director to film Haji in action. When the film is finished and Haji views it, he sees his own image on the screen and, enthralled by it, begins to appreciate the merits of cinema.[7]

Plot

A director (Ovanes Ohanian) looks for a subject for his movie and someone suggests that he secretly film Haji Agha. Haji is very rich and frowns upon cinema. Haji's daughter, son-in-law, and servant help the director with the film. Haji's watch gets lost, and he suspects his servant. Haji and his son-in-law start chasing him. At first, they tail him to the dentist's, and then they meet a fakir who claims he can find the lost watch. He does some strange things. The director photographs Haji all the time. Then Haji watches the film and becomes aware of the true merits of cinema.[8]

Cast
  • Abbas-Gholi Edalatpour as Puri
  • Asia Ghostantin as Parvin
  • Habibollah Morad as Haji Agha
  • Ovanes Ohanian as The director
  • Zema Ohanian as Pari
  • Gholam-Hossein Sohrabi-Fard as Monsieur Abi
  • Abbas-Kahn Tahbaz as Parviz

Production

Shooting started in June 1932 and the camera used was a "Pathe" camera which was more than 20 years old.[9]

References
  1. "Haji Agha actore cinema". silentera.com.
  2. "HAJI AGHA, THE MOVIE ACTOR". MUBI.com.
  3. "A BRIEF CRITICAL HISTORY OF IRANIAN FEATURE FILM (1896-1975)". University of Washington website.
  4. "Haji Agha, Actor E-Cinema". asiaticafilmmediale.it. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008.
  5. Jahed, Parviz (2012). Directory of World Cinema: Iran. ISBN 9781841503998.
  6. Fahr, Anna. "Representations of Women and Veiling with the Advent of Cinema in the Middle East". offscreen.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014.
  7. Saljoughi, Sara. "SALAAM CINEMA! AN INTRODUCTION TO FILM IN IRAN". catcherinthereel.net. Archived from the original on 24 August 2014.
  8. "Haji Agha, the Movie Actor". worldcinemadirectory.co.uk/.
  9. Omid, Jamal (1985). Ovanes Oganians; Life and Films. Faryab. p. 59.
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