Directed by Khatereh Khodaei (Iran) 2018
A New Documentary about the history and impact of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, more commonly known as Kanoon
The Institute for the Development of Children and Young Adults, commonly referred to as “Kanoon,” is an Iranian cultural non-profit organization founded in 1965 by Queen Farah. It began as an effort to collect books and create libraries in underprivileged parts of the capital city Tehran, but soon grew into a nationwide network of cultural centers for children complete with multimedia libraries, an award-winning publishing house, and producers of films, plays, and music for children. Several of the most prominent contemporary artists in Iranian cinema began their careers at this cultural powerhouse. Based on extensive original interviews with Kanoon’s founding directors – including leading filmmakers (such as the late Abbas Kiarostami) and contemporary artists, who as children attended classes at the centers – Khatereh Khodaei’s documentary “Kanoon” tells the story of this important institution. The documentary was part of her Ph.D. dissertation, “The Role of Kanoon Institute in the Iranian Art Cinema from 1970 to 1990”.
Hosted By: Nahid Siamdoust, Iranian Studies Program at Yale
Discussant: Farbod Honarpisheh, Postdoctoral Fellow in Film and Media Studies, University of Pittsburgh