Mājarihā-yi lanz va qalam: Khāṭirāt-i hunarī Persian 2026

The Adventures of Lens and Pen is the third volume of memoirs by Reza Allamehzadeh, documenting nearly six decades of his work in cinema, writing, and cultural activism. The book follows his earlier memoirs, The Mirage of Islamic Cinema in Iran (1991) and A Hand in Art, an Eye on Politics (2012), and brings together personal memories from his long career as a filmmaker, writer, and journalist.

Through these recollections, Allamehzadeh reflects on his experiences in Iranian cinema, his involvement with the Iranian Film Artists’ Syndicate and the Progressive Filmmakers Association, his years of imprisonment, and his life and creative work in exile. The memoir offers a personal perspective on Iran’s cultural and political transformations, as well as the challenges of artistic expression under political pressure.

Reza Allamehzadeh (born 1943) is an Iranian-Dutch filmmaker, writer, and film critic known for his socially engaged documentaries and films on exile, migration, human rights, and political repression. Born in Sari, Iran, he studied film directing at the Tehran Academy of Film and Television before beginning his career in Iranian cinema. After leaving Iran in the early 1980s, he continued his artistic activities in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands. His notable works include The Guests of Hotel Astoria, Holy Crime, and Iranian Taboo. Alongside filmmaking, he has written fiction and children’s literature and has taught film and media studies internationally.

The Adventures of Lens and Pen is both a personal memoir and a historical document of an artist’s journey through cinema, literature, political upheaval, and exile.