Legendary Iranian theater director Pari Saberi passes away

Saberi was born to a cultured family in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman and was sent to Paris at the age of 12 to continue her education. She graduated from the Vaugirard Cinematography College in France.

She has staged many plays based on Persian classical literature, including Rostam and Sohrab. Some of her plays like the Flying Shams and the Legend of Siavash have been seen by tens of thousands in Iran and abroad.

The maestro was a close friend and companion of prominent Iranian modernist poet Forough Farrokhzad and has made a movie about her.

Saberi has also written and translated numerous books to serve as a bridge between the Persian and Western litterateur.

She was one of the most decorated directors in Iran who received numerous prestigious awards, including the UNICEF’s Avicenna (Ibn Sina) prize in 2003, and the French Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2004.

The avid artist showed a strong passion for mysticism, poetry, Iranian sagas, music, dance and theater during her fruitful career and has been a source of inspiration for many enthusiasts.