Nasser Rahmaninejad Ordre des livres (chronologique)

This memoir recounts the life of a theater artist navigating the tumultuous landscape of 20th-century Iran, marked by two significant upheavals: the White Revolution of the 1960s and the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The White Revolution, characterized by top-down modernization under the Shah's authoritarian regime, followed the CIA-backed overthrow of the popular Mosaddegh government. The subsequent Iranian Revolution saw a societal uprising against the Shah, ultimately leading to the rise of Khomeini’s Islamist faction. In a straightforward style, the author shares his experiences in Tehran, where he founded a theater company and directed plays amid increasing censorship and the threat of the Shah’s secret police. His journey includes arrest and torture by SAVAK, years spent in Evin prison, and eventual release following the 1979 Revolution, which initially seemed to promise freedom. However, this newfound liberty was fleeting as progressive artists and intellectuals were soon overshadowed by the more organized Islamist forces, resulting in renewed repression and exile. The memoir highlights the often-overlooked decades of Iran's modern history leading up to the revolution. The title reflects a moment of resilience during his imprisonment, when he defiantly proclaimed his identity as an artist, asserting, "Here it is—this is my life! I am an artist! A man of the theater!"