197-99 Treasures From The Golestan Film Studio

[Finch]

For the first-time ever on home video, this collection presents the complete output of the iconoclastic independent Iranian film studio founded in the late 1950s by a towering figure of Iranian culture, Ebrahim Golestan. The studio’s earliest productions were documentaries that helped bring Iranian cinema to international attention, including The House Is Black, directed by the poet Forough Farrokhzad. From 1961, the studio turned to fiction. Two feature films were completed, including the pivotal Brick and Mirror – both of which are presented here. After years of circulation in compromised versions, sometimes altered by censorship, these classics, which map the origins of the Iranian New Wave, are now presented in restored and definitive versions. The nine films in this set move fluidly from prose poetry to political allegory, achieving remarkable results that have inspired generations of filmmakers from Abbas Kiarostami to Jonathan Glazer.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

New 4K restoration of Brick and Mirror from the original camera negative by Cineteca di Bologna and Ecran Noir Productions / Fereydoun Firouz under the supervision of Ebrahim Golestan
Outtake from Brick and Mirror (3 mins)
Introduction by curator and the Golestan restoration project collaborator Ehsan Khoshbakht (2026)
Visual essay on Ebrahim Golestan by Khoshbakht (2026)
A restored programme of three short documentaries combining the talents of master director Golestan and Iran’s greatest female modernist poet, Forough Farrokzhad: A Fire (1961, 25 mins); Courtship (1961, 11 mins); The House is Black (1962, 22 mins)
A restored programme of Golestan’s documentaries following his recurrent theme of the land and its people: The Crown Jewels of Iran (1965, 14 mins), Wave, Coral and Rock (1961, 41 mins); The Hills of Marlik (1963, 15 mins), Harvest and Seed (1966, 29 mins)
Introductions to each programme by Ehsan Khoshbakht (2026)
New 4K restoration of Secrets of the Jinn Valley Treasure from the original camera negative by Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory with funding provided by the Iran Heritage Foundation and Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna
Introduction by Ehsan Khoshbakht (2026)
See You Friday, Robinson - Mitra Farahani’s award-winning documentary chronicles an exchange of ideas between two giants of cinema - Golestan and Jean-Luc Godard - on the meaning of creativity in the twilight of life (2022, 96 mins)
Newly translated optional English subtitles
Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista
Booklet featuring archival writing by Ehsan Khoshbakht
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Year: 1961-1974
Country: Iran
Cert: TBC
Format: Blu-ray
Region: ABC
RAD197BDLE
EAN: 5060974683918
Release date: 14/09/26

[andyli]

This is beyond fantastic!

[Calvin]

Likely release of the year for me

[TMDaines]

This would usually be outside my wheelhouse, but it looks so comprehensive that I have to go there.

[TechnicolorAcid]

This would usually be outside my wheelhouse, but it looks so comprehensive that I have to go there.

I have no reason not to believe this will be nothing but utterly incredible, especially since it has The House Is Black, which always stood as a deeply impactful film for me and one of my all-time favorite documentaries and it’s worth the purchase for that alone.

[Peacock]

I almost guessed A Fire when speculating what Iranian film could be released!

Looks like many of here can finally upgrade from that famous (albeit unsubtitled) Cinéma / Leon Scheer DVD for The House is Black as well!

Fran - if you’re reading this, thank you. This is an incredible and comprehensive release from a company that keeps on killing it.

[A Tempted Christ]

Just wow! And with Secrets of the Jinn Valley Treasure too! The restoration hasn't even premiered yet. The inclusion of shorts and documentaries is the cherry on top.

[denti alligator]

Incredible! It will be hard to beat this as release of the year.

[knives]

What an amazing treasury. It will be great seeing films from beyond the usual suspects.

[domino harvey]

I don’t share this board’s long history of championing the House is Black but I’m still intrigued by this set (and quite curious about Iranian films emerging from these most fruitful years for world cinema in general). But I know many more happy members will have their day instantly made when they see this announcement!

[Red Screamer]

My day is made! Don’t forget that this also has the first(?) English-friendly release of another feature (co-)directed by Godard, See You Friday, Robinson, which is made up of filmed diaries from him and Golestan IIRC.

[Zot!]

Interesting release during an interesting time for Iran. Golestan seems to be to be something of a controversial figurehead, understandably so. I hope there is some contextual stuff in here to put it in perspective. Regardless a very worthy and compelling collection.