1949 Tehran, Iran

Saltanat Tayebi
Born 1936
Tehran, Iran Interviewed on January 29, 2018 By Douglas Hagemeister

The first movie I remember? Let me think. I used to love scary movies, I still do actually. That’s quite weird isn’t it—most people like romances or comedies, but I always loved the mysteries, the thrillers, the things that make you jump and keep you watching. I used to read a lot of Agatha Christie because she knew how to write a mystery like no one else. A movie though? Ah, actually, I remember now going to see a Frankenstein movie (unsure which one). I must have been about thirteen. I went with two of my brothers, and we went to the big cinema in Tehran. We didn’t call it a theater, it was a cinema.

The cinema was huge and popular. At the time, the idea of going to the cinema to watch movies was new and fresh. It seemed like in a flash the whole country became obsessed and it was the new big thing. The cinema itself felt so modern, and it was one of the most fun places to go in the city as a teenager. Back then, Iran and America were very friendly with each other. You could see it everywhere you went in Iran—by the time I came to the United States, it wasn’t actually that hard to adjust because Iran had become so Americanized. The cinema was no different. Everyone got some popcorn to eat, and of course some Coca Cola to drink. They had a new drink there, Canada Dry, which I tried and liked. It was my favorite snack at the movies.

The movies, too, were all American with Persian dialogue played over the actors. I can’t say enough how much American influence there was, it was ‘cool’ to go to the cinema and see the newest American movies. I never really liked the Iranian movies because they were just never as fun or exciting. I would go often to the cinema with my brothers and friends.

Back on the Frankenstein movie, I remember how crowded the room was. It seemed like half of Tehran had come out to see it! I loved the effects they did to make the man look like a monster and I was so impressed by how scary hew was. I loved that thrill, I thought it was so fun. I remember that as the movie went on, the ‘monster’ was actually nice even though he looked terrible. This idea, that the real monsters in life aren’t always obvious, really hit me and stuck with me.

Years later, I went to many drive-in movies, which quickly became popular in Iran. I would take my children, babies at the time, and we would stay in my car and enjoy the movie. But that was all later. I haven’t been back to Iran in forty years, I have no idea if any of these things still exist or what it’s like now. But you know, I’ll always have the memories.