From the Caucasus to the Indus River

By MRD/JG/DT, "Hollywood to film life of Mowlavi" - Press TV - Tehran, Iran
Friday, October 3, 2008

Iran is prepared to contribute to the shooting of a Hollywood movie on the life of the 13th-century Persian poet and mystic, Mowlavi.

The issue was raised at a meeting between Mohammad Reza Hatami, Iran's cultural attaché to Dubai, the UAE, and Bashar Atiyat, the directing producer of Rumi, the Flames of Love, a movie on the life story of the poet.

During the Dubai meeting, the two sides highlighted the need for a precise representation of the mysterious character of Mowlana Jalaleddin Balkhi, known to Persian speakers as Mowlavi, to Westerners as Rumi.

“The movie on Mowlavi was to be viewed from three angles in Hollywood: his poems, how he became Mowlavi and the prominent poet's relations with Master Shams-e Tabrizi,” said Bashar Atiyat, who also goes before the camera.

Hollywood plans to shoot the film in India, Turkey and some Arab countries in 2009.

“It is feared the film will be influenced by Indian Sufism and mysticism, which will overshadow the truth behind Mowlavi. The movie would be conceptually meaningless, if the film makers limit themselves to India, Turkey and Arab countries,” said Hatami.

The story of Mowlavi attracted Hollywood when translations of his poetry became best-sellers in the United States.

Mowlana Jalaleddin Balkhi was born in 1207 in Balkh, which is now in Afghanistan, althought then part of greater Iran. The jurist and theologian died in 1273 and is buried in Konya, Turkey.

The countries where the movie is to be filmed are mostly located in the Iranian cultural continent. The region stretches from the Caucasus to the Indus River.

Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and even part of China are among the states which have been under the influence of the Iranian culture.