The Book of Kings (2021) Trailer
The Book of Kings (2021)
Based on the 10th century epic poem by: Ferdowsi
Narrated by: Mojdeh Shamsaie
Performers: The Living Earth Show
Music: Sahba Aminikia
Video and Visuals: Kevork Mourad
"The Book of Kings" is a multimedia story-telling experience, based on three tales from The Book of Kings, the 10th-century Persian epic poetry by the Persian poet, Ferdowsi. The original book is the longes piece of poetry ever written consisting of 50,000 prose and it exists in every Iranian household. The original text was commissioned by a Persian king, Mahmud of Ghazni, and it portrays a mix of mythology, politics, and history interwoven with drama and poetry that applies all generations of humanity. The 50-minute production of The Book of Kings production is commissioned by SF-based duo The Living Earth Show and is made possible by a grant from SF Arts Commission. The production is a combination of music and visual arts created for the piece by Syrian-American artist, Kevork Mourad and dramatic poetry reading by prominent Iranian actress, Mojdeh Shamsaei in Persian language. The production consists of 5 pieces, two of which are instrumental, and the other three tell the stories of three heroes and villains from the original text. The production explores the roots of power and its corrupting effect on the human soul. Each story and every piece draws elements from the classical and traditional art and rituals from Iran. However, in several layers, every story explores contemporary politics, war, and social justice through various symbolism and storytelling techniques. The production can be presented both in a digital and live format.
