german photographer offers fresh view of iran
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

German photographer offers fresh view of Iran

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today German photographer offers fresh view of Iran

Berlin - DW

Benedikt Fuhrmann set out with a friend and his old VW Polo-turned-camper-van on July 20, 2005, leaving behind his hometown Bad Tölz and knowing where the journey would end: Vietnam. Equipped with audio recorders, film and video cameras, the photographer and filmmaker intended to follow the historic east-west trade route, known as the Silk Route, all the way to Southeast Asia. These plans changed when the two Germans had to leave Turkey and enter Iran, the first real border they had to cross on their trip.The first encounter with the Iranians was with a customs officer at the border, and I was scared that he would confiscate my film equipment," said Fuhrmann. Intensive exploration The fear passed 10 minutes later, dissolving, so to speak, in the tea that Fuhrmann and the customs officer drank together. The officer was excited about a German car appearing on the Iranian border. In that moment, it was clear to the 35-year-old that he had to get to know Iran better. Fuhrmann traveled spent a year in his VW, traveling more than 70,000 kilometers (over 43,000 miles). He dove into the sizzling life of Teheran with its 15 million inhabitants. In the mountains he experienced their hospitality in the nomads' tents, a hospitality he felt again in the small fishing villages on the sea. Just one thing bothered Fuhrmann. "My Farsi, which I knew from Teheran, wasn't useable at all in some villages," he said. At the beginning of his stay, the filmmaker had hoped he would be issued a press visa. Three months later, he finally received permission to take photographs and record video, shortly before he was to be expelled. But that doesn't mean that everything went smoothly after that, Fuhrmann explained. "I was in prison off and on because I worked as a journalist in areas where journalists are less common. They didn't know at all what press accreditation is. Then they took me to jail as a precaution," he said. But as soon as he arrived, he "walked right back out." Ordinary Iranians never treated him with distrust, unlike some officials, he said. "When you're in Iran and say you're German, you don't hear one negative word," said Fuhrmann, adding that Germany made them think of football, engineering, and high-quality products. Back at home, Fuhrmann wanted to present his impressions of Iran, the country und its people in a multimedia exhibition called "Say Servus and Salam." Servus means hello in the Bavarian and Austrian German dialects, while salam means the same in Farsi. The search for sponsors and a space proved to be difficult. As soon as he mentioned his project to people, he felt an ambivalent fear from them, he said, "of some nuclear bomb or another, some terrorist, of Ahmadinejad, but also simply of Islam." The numerous rejections only encouraged Fuhrmann. In the end, he found support through Rainer Maria Schiessler, a Catholic priest from the Maximilian Church in Munich. The priest offered the church's rooms for the exhibition and on opening night he held a prayer of peace with representatives from various religious groups. The fact that some of his colleagues didn't like the situation was "actually the confirmation that I did everything right," said Schiessler. So far, Fuhrmann has been able to raise funds of over 50,000 euros (over $61,000) on the Internet and through social networks from donors around the world. As expected, large crowds of visitors - including Iranians - attended the opening of the exhibition, which runs through August 12 in the Maximilian Church. "It was deeply touching when a woman came up to me and said, 'You have given me my country back'," he said. Fuhrmann intends to show his pictures from Iran at other locations, too, including Tel Aviv. He has already won over a well-known Israeli to help him: Ronny Edry, the founder of the Facebook campaign "Israel loves Iran."

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

german photographer offers fresh view of iran german photographer offers fresh view of iran

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

german photographer offers fresh view of iran german photographer offers fresh view of iran

 



GMT 12:48 2016 Sunday ,27 November

Cilic, Dodig push Croatia to brink of Davis Cup

GMT 05:24 2017 Thursday ,28 December

Erdogan says 'terrorist' Assad cannot be part of Syria

GMT 12:59 2016 Saturday ,05 November

WB welcomes economic reforms in Egypt

GMT 18:40 2016 Saturday ,05 November

Egyptian GDRs in London down

GMT 10:57 2017 Wednesday ,06 December

Peru striker Guerrero has doping ban extended

GMT 17:51 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Trump Signs New Travel Ban on Six Muslim Countries

GMT 10:30 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Saudi Information Ministry praises media role during Hajj

GMT 15:29 2017 Tuesday ,24 January

Mind games really do help your brain

GMT 06:55 2015 Thursday ,01 October

Boston Red Sox beat Yankees

GMT 08:17 2017 Monday ,28 August

Bahrain celebrates World Humanitarian Day 2017

GMT 02:07 2017 Tuesday ,28 February

Opposition seeks Russian support at Syria talks
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday