Francois Mitterrand's Last Work: A Book on Empress Farah Pahlavi

Recently, a book titled "Farah" has been published in France. This book is the last work of Frederic Mitterrand, the former French Minister of Culture in Nicolas Sarkozy's government. Mitterrand has compiled the biography of Empress Farah Pahlavi in 200 pages, interspersed with several of her photographs and handwritten notes. In the book "Farah," Frederic Mitterrand writes: "For Her Highness, Empress of Iran Farah Pahlavi, I hope she forgives me for sometimes affectionately calling her Farah." The nephew of former French President Francois Mitterrand passed away this spring at the age of 76, and the book "Farah" was released a few weeks after the author's death. In addition to his ministerial and writing career, he also had a background in filmmaking and television production. In France, Mr. Mitterrand is generally recognized as a cultural figure. The French publisher of this work describes Empress Farah Pahlavi as one of the "most prominent figures of our time" in the book's preface. The publisher, Gourkaf Gradnigo, writes: "Farah Diba, after becoming the Queen of Iran during Mohammad Reza Shah's reign, was able to make significant contributions in the fields of culture and society." The preface of the book "Farah" also states that "despite the ongoing threats of the current dictatorship ruling Iran, many people still admire the Empress for her courage and dignity." According to the publisher, sections of photographs and handwritten notes in this work, published for the first time, narrate "a sorrowful period in the life of the tireless Empress," including the 1979 revolution in Iran, the death of the Shah, and the loss of two children. Mr. Mitterrand became a permanent member of the French Academy of Fine Arts four years before his death. At his request during the official membership ceremony, the ceremonial sword of the Academy was presented to him by Empress Farah Pahlavi. The French Academy of Fine Arts has nine permanent non-French members, and the former Queen of Iran is one of them. Farah Pahlavi (Diba) studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris in her youth. Before the 1979 revolution and the fall of the Pahlavi monarchy, she played a significant role in the establishment of institutions, museums, and the organization of cultural and social festivals and events in Iran.