The Queen and I - 2008

Movie #132

4.5 stars

Nahid Persson Sarvestani's thought-provoking documentary about her friendship with Queen Farah, the wife of the Shah of Iran, demonstrates how even those at most odds -- politically, idealistically -- can find middle ground and understanding. The royal answers questions about her husband's repressive principles, and the conversation becomes political and highly personal. Included with the film is a short called Liberation.

Cast: Empress Farah, Zinat S. Lloyd, Nahid Persson Sarvestani

Director: Nahid Persson Sarvestani





I will start with my dislike since there is only one: when Nahid would narrate, you could tell that she was reading. It was so obvious...obvious enough for it to be distracting.

Likes: I thought it was very objective...or as objective as it could have been given the fact that Nahid had spent a good part of her young adult life totally against her - supporting the overthrow of the shah.

If Farah (or her majesty as she liked to be called...even by her friend) wasn't as crazy as she was it may have not been as easy to get through. It is evident that she still views herself as the Empress by the way she carries herself in public.




















Even though Farah was a little full of herself it was nice to see her good natured side (despite the so called rumors about what happened to Iranians that were against the shah). One scene shows her reading "fan letters." One boy had wrote that he wanted an iPod. At first her response was that she can't give everyone everything that they want...but then she went on to say that she had bought a new iPod and she could give him her old one. On top of that gesture she called a man who had wrote to her. When he answered the phone, Farah introduced herself as the person you wrote the letter to....I guess for security reasons. But she wished his family well during a brief conversation. After she hung up, she said he probably wasn't expecting a phone call. Now who knows if she was just playing nice for the camera or if that's what she's really like.

The craziest thing about the documentary, in my eyes, is how every year, on the anniversary of the shah's death, a whole hell of a lot of people go to Egypt where the shah is buried. One lady even travels from Texas...every year.

It was sad when they talked about Farah's daughter Leila. She was 9 years old when the shah was forced into exile. She started modeling but suffered from anorexia and severe depression. In June of 2001 she was found in a London hotel. She had taken 5 times the lethal dose of sleeping pills. She normally took 40 pills...not the prescribed two. crazzzy.

Overall, this was a very interesting documentary. It was kinda weird to see the filmmaker featured so much. But in a way, that was the whole point of the documentary...these two women coming together to discuss their homeland. Both women were forced to leave but their thoughts about the rule of Iran was totally different. The only reason I am not giving this 5 stars is because I don't think I would watch it again.