Synopsis
Iranian astrologer and scientist Omar Khayyam wrote 1000 four-line verses, more than 1000 years ago. Artist Azam Masoumzadeh grew up with his verses and has made them her tools for a good and beautiful life.
In this 8-minute VR experience, Azam creates a contemporary version of Omar Khayyam’s world, inspired by ancient Iranian miniature art. It is a world to the heart of Epicurus, pleasant and relaxing, that immerses you in 5 different scenes, each one inspired by a different poem.
The poems are told in voice-over, in Farsi, English or Dutch. Sometimes they are sad, sometimes full of humor. And although they are centuries old, they touch timeless themes: love, death, loss, religion, pleasure, happiness, mental wellbeing ... Khayyam’s age-old words are more recognizable than you think and show us a very different world view from Iran today than what media present us.
Credits
Director | Azam Masoumzadeh |
Creative technologist | Wim Forceville |
Illustrator | Azam Masoumzadeh |
Animators | Wim Forceville, Willem Mertens |
Producer | Emmy Oost |
Line producer | An Oost |
Poems interpreted to Dutch | Stijn Vranken |
Farsi poems from The Rubáiyát | Omar Khayyám |
Poems interpreted to English | Justin Huntly McCarthy |
Original music | Ehsan Yadollahi |
Musician tar & sitar | Ehsan Yadollahi |
Additional instruments | Stefan Bracke |
Sound mix & production | Stefan Bracke at Audiotheque studios |
Sound studio manager | Louise-Marie Kerkhove |
Assisting animator | Rose Thys |
Dutch voice over | Stijn Vranken |
English voice overs | Christopher Joseph, Azam Masoumzadeh |
Farsi voice over | Azam Masoumzadeh |
With the support of | The Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) & Flanders Literature |
