Khan Baba Motazedi () (1892– 1986) also known as Khan Baba Khan Motazedi, was an Iranian

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community. A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...

within the field of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ian cinema and

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

photography. He was the third

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

in the country and made some of the earliest documentary films, primarily focused on the

Qajar dynasty The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...

and silent film news footage.

Biography

Khan Baba Motazedi was born in 1892 in

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

Qajar Iran The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

(now Iran). Motazedi, during the reign of Persia's

Ahmad Shah Qajar Ahmad Shah Qajar (‎; 21 January 1898 – 21 February 1930) was the List of monarchs of Iran, shah of Iran (Name of Iran, Persia) from 16 July 1909 to 15 December 1925, and the seventh and final ruling member of the Qajar dynasty. Ahmad Shah ...

, at 17 years of age, traveled from Iran to Lausanne, Switzerland to study French and English language, and he traveled to Paris two years later, to study

electromechanical engineering Electromechanics combine processes and procedures drawn from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Electromechanics focus on the interaction of electrical and mechanical systems as a whole and how the two systems interact with each ...

. While living in France, he worked for the

Gaumont Film Company Gaumont SA () is a French film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946) in 1895, it is the oldest extant film company in ...

as a cinematographer. Motazedi returned to Iran after the

1921 Persian coup d'état 1921 Persian coup d'état, known in Iran as 3 Esfand 1299 coup d'état ( with the Solar Persian date), refers to several major events in Qajar Persia in 1921, which eventually led to the deposition of the Qajar dynasty and the establishment of ...

with a Gamun, a type of Gaumont brand camera, as well as a projection projector, and a collection of French films, and began making documentaries in his homeland. Filming his family and then the family of "Ahmad Hassan Mirza", the crown prince of Ahmad Shah, was the subject of his first experience. After that, filming

Reza Shah Pahlavi Reza Shah Pahlavi born Reza Khan (15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was shah of Iran from 1925 to 1941 and founder of the roughly 53 years old Pahlavi dynasty. Originally a military officer, he became a politician, serving as minister of war an ...

in the Constituent Assembly and his swearing-in ceremony to the constitution in the National Assembly (Esfand 1304 on the

Persian calendar The Iranian calendars or Iranian chronologies (, ) are a succession of calendars created and used for over two millennia in Iran, also known as Persia. One of the longest chronological records in human history, the Iranian calendar has been modi ...

, March 1926 on the

Western calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

) are considered to be professional and lasting works of Khan Baba. Before long, Motazedi's reputation as the most capable Iranian cinematographer rose to the attention of the Royal Court. The coronation ceremony in Golestan Palace, the inauguration of Iran's National Railway construction, the Constitutional Celebration in the National Assembly, the Armed Forces Parade, the inauguration ceremony of Iran's Scouts, the inauguration ceremony of the Risbaf factory, the inauguration ceremony of Radio Tehran were some of his works in Tehran cinemas and military centers.بهارلو، عباس (۱۳۸۲). صد چهره سینمای ایران. تهران: نشر قطره. ص. ۱۸–۱۷. شابک ۹۶۴-۳۴۱-۱۲۸-۱. Considering the titles of Motazedi's films, it can be said that the second twenty years of documentary-film production in Iran (1319–1299) found a direction in news-advertising, a trend that flourished more years later and became the mainstream of documentary filmmaking in Iran. Simultaneously with his filmmaking activities, Motazedi, was the General Directorate of Iran's Customs during the early years of the Mohamad Reza Pahlavi. Motazedi was awarded the first-class scientific medal of the Ministry of Education, Endowments and Endowed Industries on Sharivar 26, 1313 eptember 18, 1934 as the first Iranian cinematographer of the first Pahlavi royal court. Actress

Vida Ghahremani Vida Ghahremani (; 12 June 1936 – 1 June 2018) was an Iranian Americans, Iranian-born American film and stage actress, writer, and educator. Early life and education Vida Ghahremani was born 12 June 1936 in Tehran. She began acting in films ...

in her early career was influenced by a mentorship by Motazedi. He died in 1986 in Tehran.

References

External links

* Iranian photographers 1892 births 1986 deaths People from Tabriz Iranian expatriates in France {{photographer-stub