Nasseredin Shah and His 84 Wives
Description
In 1842 the heir to the Persian throne received a daguerreotype camera from Queen Victoria of England. In the following decades he used it to document his life, eventually leaving behind portraits of prime ministers, royal musicians, foreign dignitaries, and most especially, his 84 concubines and wives. This program provides the names and biographical details of the women who posed for Nasseredin Shah and reveals the influence that they, along with the colorful Queen Mother, had at court. Using the Shah's photos as well as animated sequences, the video places harem rivalries within the context of the power struggles that marked Nasseredin's rule as he vacillated between isolationism and allowing Persia to become a modern state.
Runtime
58 min
Subjects
Contributor
Geography
Genre
Date of Publication
[2013], c2011
Database
Films on Demand