1001 Nights Apart

After the revolution of 1979, the gap widened between Iranians in Iran and Iranians abroad. Many people left the country. The next generations born after the revolution in Iran knew nothing about their past or they were completely apathetic about it. A large part of Iranian history was destroyed or burnt in chaos and revolution and what was left for the new generations was an invented history. It is still difficult to discern the lies from the truth. Many Iranians hid their true identities out of fear. Ballet dancers were among these. Stories and histories were left untold, and the old and new generations remained total strangers. This gap grew over the past 40 years.


The Tale of Scheherazade is a ballet, portraying a nation and performed and choreographed in two different eras by two completely separate generations of Iranian dancers and inspired by the famous story of Scheherazade in the 1001 Nights. As the film progresses, both groups become Scheherazade the story-teller and tell their own stories for the first time.

(Filmpunkt)