Draft:Farajollah Salahshoor

Faraj Allah Salahshur

Directing Prophet Joseph and The Men of Angelos
Full Name	Faraj Allah Salahshur
Religious Affiliation	Shi'a
Birth	1952
Place of Birth	Qazvin
Places of Residence	Tehran
Death	February 27, 2016
Cause of Death	Lung cancer
Burial Place	Imamzadeh Sayyid Ja'far, Tehran
Era	Contemporary
Known for	Religious Cinema
Notable roles	Job in Prophet Job
Works	Prophet Joseph (TV series) • The Men of Angelos (TV series)
Activities	Filmmaker, Actor, Producer

Faraj Allāh Salaḥshūr (1952–2016) was an Iranian director, actor, and producer, renowned for his significant contributions to religious cinema. He began his career in the film industry as an actor in Tawba-yi Nasuh (Nasuh's Repentance) (1982), subsequently appearing in films such as Gurkan (The Badger) and Parwaz dar Shab (Flight at Night). His most prominent directorial achievements include the television series The Men of Angelos (1997) and Prophet Joseph (2007), both of which left a lasting impact on Iranian television. Additionally, Salahshur portrayed the title character in the film Prophet Job (1993), for which he also served as screenwriter and director.

Salahshur was distinguished in the artistic community for his devout religious perspective, dedicating his career to adapting Quranic narratives for cinema and television. His career was not without controversy; he faced allegations of plagiarism regarding the Prophet Joseph project, though he was ultimately acquitted by the court of appeal. Prior to his death, he initiated a project centered on Prophet Moses (a), which was subsequently transferred to other directors.

Beyond his artistic endeavors, Salahshur was actively involved in political discourse and was a vocal critic of the Iranian film industry. He alleged that the "House of Cinema" maintained ties with American cinema and fostered corruption, accusations that led to legal action against him. Furthermore, his remarks concerning actresses and cinematic policies frequently generated significant public debate.

Life

Faraj Allah Salahshur was born in 1952 in Qazvin. He made his foray into cinema in 1982 as an actor in the film Tawba-yi Nasuh. Two years later, in Gurkan, he expanded his role to include makeup artistry alongside acting. In 1986, he appeared in the film Parwaz dar Shab, directed by Rasul Mulla-Quli-Pur. In 1988, in addition to acting, Salahshur served as the producer for Insan wa Aslaha (Man and Weapon), directed by Mujtaba Ra'i.

In 1993, he officially entered the field of filmmaking by writing, directing, and starring in the film Prophet Job. Salahshur, who dedicated his later years to adapting Quranic stories for television, directed the series "The Men of Angelos" (The story of the Companions of the Cave) in 1997. Ten years later, in 2007, he wrote, directed, and produced the series "Prophet Joseph". Throughout his career, he remained politically active.

Salahshur died on Saturday, February 27, 2016, in Tehran following a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He was buried in the Imamzadeh Sayyid Ja'far shrine in Bagh-e Feiz, Tehran. In a message of condolence, Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, described him as a source of honor and prestige for Iranian cinema in the eyes of other nations.

Filmography

Salahshur acted in various films and series, and directed two major series and one feature film.

• (1982) Tawba-yi Nasuh (Muhsin Makhmalbaf) - Actor
• (1984) Gurkan (Muhammad Rida Hunarmand) - Actor, Makeup Artist
• (1986) Parwaz dar Shab (Rasul Mulla-Quli-Pur) - Actor
• (1988) Insan wa Aslaha (Mujtaba Ra'i) - Actor, Producer
• (1993) Prophet Job (Faraj Allah Salahshur) - Actor, Director, Screenwriter
• (1997) Dunya-yi Waruneh (Shahriyar Bahrani) - Actor
• (1997) Ashab-i Kahf (The Men of Angelos) (Faraj Allah Salahshur) - Director
• (2007) Prophet Joseph (Faraj Allah Salahshur) - Actor, Producer, Writer
• Prophet Moses (Unfinished)

Salahshur in the role of Prophet Job (a) in the film Prophet Job (a)

Prophet Job

Main article: Prophet Job (film)

The film Prophet Job (a) marks Faraj Allah Salahshur's directorial debut in the genre of religious cinema. Released in 1991, Salahshur not only directed the film but also wrote the screenplay and portrayed Prophet Job (a). The narrative focuses on the immense trials faced by the Prophet (a) and his exemplary patience in the face of adversity. Due to its religious themes, the film received praise from various scholars, including Sayyid Ali Khamenei. While noting the difficulty of depicting the life of a prophet, he described the screenplay of Prophet Job as a correct, solid, and flawless interpretation of a significant narrative.

The film's synopsis is as follows:

The spiritual station of Prophet Job (a) before God incites envy in Satan. By Divine Will, Job (a) is tested through severe hardships. A succession of calamities causes the people to gradually abandon him, leaving the Prophet (a) to endure sickness and poverty. When Rahima, Job's wife, despairs of recovering her claim from a woman, she encounters Satan in human form, who demands locks of her hair in exchange for bread. Satan presents Rahima's hair to Job (a), accusing her of betrayal. Job (a) seeks succor from the Lord, whereupon a spring flows from beneath his feet, restoring youth and health to him and his wife.

A scene from the TV series The Men of Angelos

The Men of Angelos

Main article: The Men of Angelos (TV series)

The Men of Angelos is a television series based on a Quranic narrative, directed by Salahshur in 1997 for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The series depicts the lives of a group of devout Christians in the pre-Islamic era who, fleeing the persecution of a tyrannical ruler, seek refuge in a cave where they fall into a miraculous sleep, awakening approximately three hundred years later. In the Quran, this group is known as the Companions of the Cave, and their story is recounted in Sura al-Kahf. The series was broadcast in several Islamic countries, including Egypt.

Prophet Joseph

Main article: Prophet Joseph (TV series)

Prophet Joseph

The television series Prophet Joseph (a) was produced in 2007, comprising 40 episodes for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Faraj Allah Salahshur served as the director, producer, writer, and also acted in the series. The synopsis is as follows:

Jacob (a) calls the people of Bani Israel to the One God, warning them against idolatry. God continues the prophetic lineage through him, bestowing upon him a son, Joseph (a). In childhood, Joseph (a) dreams of the sun, the moon, and eleven stars prostrating before him. Jacob (a) advises him to conceal this dream from his brothers. Driven by envy of their father's affection, Joseph's (a) brothers abandon him in a well in the desert. However, God, willing to guide humanity through Joseph (a), rescues him, eventually elevating him to a station of high rank and authority.

Plagiarism Accusation

Following the broadcast of Prophet Joseph, Salahshur faced accusations of plagiarizing the screenplay. On April 4, 2010, a special court for government employees sentenced him to three years in prison and a fine of 1.5 billion Tomans for plagiarizing the screenplay from the two-volume book and script "Yusuf-i Siddiq" by Shahab al-Din Tahiri. However, upon appeal, the court overturned the conviction, issuing a verdict of acquittal.

Prophet Moses

"Prophet Moses" (a) was the final project Faraj Allah Salahshur intended to produce as both writer and director. He stated that he had completed the screenplay, consisting of 72 episodes of 55 minutes each, and submitted it to the IRIB organization. The series chronicles the life of Prophet Moses (a), including his birth, flight to Mada'in, marriage to Shu'ayb's daughter, the Story of Khidr and Moses, the miracle of the heifer and the resurrection of the dead, the confrontation with Pharaoh, and the story of Korah. Due to Salahshur's illness and subsequent death, the project was transferred to Jamal Shurje. Following Shurje's illness, Ibrahim Hatami-Kiya assumed the directorship, with Sayyid Mahmud Radawi as producer. Hatami-Kiya subsequently rewrote the screenplay. In 2024, one of the three cinematic versions of this series was screened.

Honors

In late February 2010, at the closing ceremony of the "Manifestation of National Will" section of the Fajr Film Festival, Faraj Allah Salahshur was honored for the creation of the Prophet Joseph (a) series, receiving the award from the deputy of cinematic affairs. In his acceptance speech, Salahshur attributed the success of the series to the efforts of religious scholars and dedicated his award to the Qom Seminary. Additionally, following the production of the Prophet Joseph series, Salahshur and the production team met with and were commended by the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Views

In October 2011, following an interview with the Student News Agency of Iran (PANA) in which Salahshur made remarks perceived as insulting to Iranian actresses, 13 cinema actresses filed a complaint against him at the Culture and Media Prosecutor's Office. Salahshur subsequently denied the allegations, claiming his statements had been misrepresented.

Salahshur also alleged in an interview that the House of Cinema invited figures from American cinema to Iran and organized ceremonies honoring individuals who produced films contrary to the interests of Iran and Islam. He stated that Iranian cinema was tainted by corruption and served as a breeding ground for a "dangerous mafia." In response to these statements, the House of Cinema filed a legal complaint against him.