Copy in clipboard...
Iran, Uzbekistan float joint Avicenna film in push for cultural diplomacy
At a meeting in Tehran, Majid Shah-Hosseini, president of the Academy of Arts of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Fariddin Nasriyev, Uzbekistan’s ambassador, framed culture and the arts as a practical entry point for deeper cooperation between two civilizations with intertwined histories.
Shah-Hosseini proposed co-producing a film on Avicenna, known as Ibn Sina, arguing that joint stewardship of cultural icons can counter historical distortion and elevate authentic narratives.
Shah-Hosseini said Uzbekistan’s recent opening of a major Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent underscored the momentum for hands-on collaboration.
He described the academy as the country’s top arts planning body, with specialist groups spanning art research, traditional and visual arts such as architecture and miniature painting, and modern disciplines including cinema and theater. Those capacities, he said, position the academy to translate cultural intent into executable projects.
He also expressed hope that Akmal Nuriddinov, head of Uzbekistan’s Academy of Arts, would visit Iran next month with a delegation to finalize groundwork for a five-year operational plan now being drafted as a memorandum of cooperation.
Proposed deliverables include exchanging digital copies of reference art books, staging reciprocal cultural weeks in Tehran and Tashkent, and coordinating preservation of shared cultural assets.
Shah-Hosseini criticized what he called flawed Western cinematic portrayals of Avicenna, citing the 2013 film ‘The Physician,’ and said neglect by rightful heirs invites misrepresentation by others. He emphasized that honoring civilizational figures requires sustained institutional action rather than symbolic gestures.
Nasriyev welcomed the academy’s hospitality and pointed to the recent expansion of Iran-Uzbekistan civil ties.
He said Tashkent favors broader engagement between the two academies and supports hosting Iranian delegations in Uzbekistan.
Noting the depth of overlapping historical sources, he said Uzbek specialists are prepared, subject to Iranian consent, to review relevant archives in Iran and transfer materials to Uzbek libraries or the Tashkent civilization center.
On Avicenna, Nasriyev proposed a co-produced film with location shooting split between Bukhara, the philosopher’s birthplace, and Hamedan, his burial site. A shared creative lens, he said, could deliver a credible, high-standard production.
He also invited Iranian officials to mark Avicenna’s commemoration with a symbolic appearance at his statue in Tehran.
Abdolrahim Firouzabadi, director for the academy’s presidential office and international relations, said parallel talks with Uzbekistan’s Academy of Arts have advanced ideas ranging from book exchanges and a Central Asian art section at the academy library to cooperation in miniature painting education and joint study of Timurid-era works.