TEHRAN – Iran’s Rudaki Foundation and Tehran Art Bureau plan to organize two photo contests on Commander Qassem Soleimani. 

Quds Force chief Soleimani was assassinated in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on January 3.

The Depiction of the Soldier Photo Competition will be held by the Rudaki Foundation. The contest also covers several other related topics including jihad, martyrdom, national and international activities, soldiers, social activities and the funeral of Commander Soleimani.

Hamid Forutan is presiding over the contest and Saeid Faraji, Farhad Soleimani and Ruhollah Vahdati will judge the final submissions.

The top selected photos will be awarded during a ceremony, which will be organized on the martyrdom anniversary of Soleimani.

In the Art Bureau’s contest named “Sarve Ravan Photo Competition” people’s love of Soleimani is the main theme.

Photos of the personal ceremonies, which will be held at homes by his fans to commemorate the first martyrdom anniversary of Soleimani during the COVID-19 era, and the decorations of the cities and the villages during such ceremonies are eligible for the contest.

The top works will be awarded in April 2021.

After his martyrdom, Soleimani has become the subject of several films, theatrical productions and festival programs.
 
In February, only one month after his martyrdom, the courtyard of Tehran’s City Theater Complex hosted some open-air performances named “The Soldier” on the military life of the commander. 

The play, which was performed in three acts, was written by Amir-Hossein Shafiei and directed by Pejman Shahverdi.

The first act of the play was dedicated to Soleimani’s leadership of Iranian forces during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

His role in the victory of the Lebanese in the Israeli 33-Day War of 2006 was spotlighted in the second stage.

The last act of the drama focused on the key role he played in the defeat of the ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.  

“The Soldier” was a joint production of Iran’s General Office for Dramatic Arts and the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense Theater Association.

Recently, young filmmaker Behnam Bahadori announced that he has made a short documentary named “Green Zone” about the good conduct of Commander Qassem Soleimani toward children.

The Children’s Department of the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization is the producer of the film.

The 38th Fajr Film Festival announced it would honor films on resistance and jihad with an award named after Soleimani.  

In addition, the 16th Resistance International Film Festival, which will be held during December, will review films on Commander Qassem Soleimani’s role in awakening people in the region and around the world in a special section named “Prominent Resistance Martyr Section”.

The Art and Cultural Organization of the Tehran Municipality will also be releasing “The Soldier”, a symphonic poem composed in memory of the Commander on his first martyrdom anniversary. 

Arman Mehrian is the composer of the symphony, which is in its post-production stage.

Photo: A poster for “Narration of a Soldier”, a photo contest organized by the Rudaki Foundation.

RM/MMS/YAW