Revisiting 'In Exile' and Sohrab Shahid Saless in Conversation with Parviz Sayad

Recently, a restored version of the film 'In Exile' by Sohrab Shahid Saless has been released on social media, prompting renewed discussions about this unique filmmaker. Sohrab Shahid Saless is recognized as one of the pioneers of Iran's distinct cinema with films like 'A Simple Event' and 'Dead Nature,' whose unique perspective and structure have notably influenced many successful filmmakers after the revolution, especially Abbas Kiarostami. The film 'In Exile,' co-produced by Parviz Sayad (representing the Association of Progressive Filmmakers) and Provis Film of Germany, was made in 1975 in Berlin, where Parviz Sayad plays the role of a Turkish migrant worker living a monotonous and dull life in Germany with several compatriots. The film depicts these workers' struggles to adapt to the specific environment of Germany and their disconnection from the culture and society of that time. 'In Exile,' also known as 'Far from Home,' was restored in collaboration with the Shahid Saless archive and under the supervision of its German producer, Provis, at the Film Shift laboratory in Germany. It was publicly screened for the first time in July 2022 at the 36th Il Cinema Ritrovato Film Festival in Bologna, Italy, alongside other significant films from Iranian cinema history, including 'The Spring' and 'The Coachman.' Parviz Sayad, a well-known Iranian actor, writer, and director, provided a relatively detailed account of the making of 'In Exile' and the spirit, beliefs, and working style of Sohrab Shahid Saless in an interview with 'Sahneh' on Radio Farda. He mentioned that he became acquainted with Sohrab Shahid Saless through Nasser Taghavi, who had suggested the screenplay for 'Dead Nature' to Sayad: 'The amount of funding he requested for the film was very minimal compared to the usual films of that time. I immediately accepted and went to the north with Hooshang Baharloo, and we made the film in eight days.' Sayad explained that following the success of 'Dead Nature' at the 24th Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for Best Director, he received offers from German producers, including a documentary filmmaker, to collaborate on a film. 'When Sohrab Shahid Saless proposed the idea for 'In Exile,' I told that producer, who was from Provis, about it, and they accepted the proposal, leading to 'In Exile' being made as a co-production in Germany.' Sayad speculated that Shahid Saless's education in Austria might have influenced the film's themes regarding migrants, likely drawn from his own experiences, which were expressed through the Turkish migrant characters in 'In Exile.' According to Sayad, apart from himself, the other actors playing workers in 'In Exile' were also Turkish migrant workers residing in Germany. He noted that working with Shahid Saless was particularly challenging for cinematographers because he insisted on completing filming in the shortest time possible. 'In Exile' was also accepted into the competition section of the Berlin Film Festival, but unlike 'Dead Nature,' it did not win any awards. This outcome, according to Sayad, faced significant criticism from the press at the time, which also angered Sohrab Shahid Saless. Sayad expressed uncertainty about the influence of Shahid Saless's political views on his decision to emigrate from Iran and live abroad, stating that he did not see any signs of Shahid Saless's leftist thoughts before the revolution, and it was only after the revolution that he became aware of his interest in such ideologies: 'In Iran, he was very conservative in expressing his political views. I remember at one of the press conferences for 'Dead Nature' in Berlin, some Iranian audience members protested against how workers were depicted in the film, claiming they were passive. He became upset and told them that this is my way of working, and you should depict the workers you want in your own film. Once, after a meeting with Bozorg Alavi in Germany with Sohrab, he spoke negatively about him, despite having a familial relation. Later, when he came to America, I was surprised to find out he had been a radical leftist all along and had hidden it from me. At least after the revolution, his leftist rebellion became evident in what he said.' Sayad described the visual quality of 'In Exile' now, nearly half a century after its production, as still good, perhaps even better than its initial screening: 'It is just as good as it was on the first day. It may even seem better than those days. I really love Sohrab's works and all three of his Iranian films.' 'In Exile' has never been publicly screened in Iran, except for a few showings at the Tehran International Film Festival, but the recent release of its restored version has brought attention to this work by one of the most distinctive filmmakers in the history of Iranian cinema.