Razor’s Edge:
The Legacy of Iranian Actresses


By Fred Parvaneh, kayhan.london, February 24, 2017


The Story of Iran’s Actresses Is Told in New Film; Aghdashloo Attended L.A. Screening.

An examination of the work and lives of actresses in the Iranian film industry prior to the 1979 revolution, featuring myriad interviews and rare film clips.

"Razor's Edge: The Legacy of Iranian Actresses" looks at the often controversial role of women in Iranian cinema during the secular period from the 1930s to the Islamic Revolution in 1979.



Through unprecedented access to the actresses and rare film clips of the works in which they appeared, filmmaker Bahman Maghsoudlou examines the effect that occurs when women gain expression in a stridently patriarchal society. The film will be submitted to all major festivals.

Who were the first actresses in the history of Iranian cinema, and who are the female performers of today? A new documentary screened in L.A. in february brought answers to those questions – with Hollywood actress Shohreh Aghdashloo present both on screen and off.

A sold-out audience attended the February 19 movie premiere of Bahman Maghsoudlou’s “Razor’s Edge: The Legacy of Iranian Actresses” at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. Sponsored by the Honar Foundation, the documentary tells the story of Iranian actresses from the 1930s to the present – through rare film clips and unprecedented access to the performers themselves.



Several of the actresses in the documentary then participated in a post-screening panel discussion (held in Persian). Besides Shohreh Aghdashloo, they included Mary Apick, Vida Ghahremani, Fakhri Khorvash, Zinat Moadab and Partow Nooriala. The panel was moderated by the journalist and author Homa Sarshar, founder of the Honar Foundation.