About the course:

This course explores Persian language and Iranian culture through carefully selected sequences from landmark Persian films and television series. Across 12 sessions, participants will watch and analyze key scenes, focus on authentic Persian dialogues, and discuss linguistic nuances alongside their social, historical, and cultural contexts. By engaging with cinematic narratives from ancient and medieval Iran to the Pahlavi era, the Revolution, the Iran–Iraq War, and contemporary society, students will not only improve their Persian listening and speaking skills but also gain a deeper understanding of Iranian values, traditions, and everyday life. The course offers an immersive journey through centuries of Iranian history while introducing learners to some of the most influential works of Iranian cinema and television.

Content of the course:

Week One – The Eagle of the Desert (عقاب صحرا)
Selected scenes introduce heroic narratives and archaic tones of Persian storytelling, reflecting imagined ancient Iran. Language discussion focuses on elevated, formal expressions and mythic themes.

Week Two – The Death of Yazdgerd (مرگ یزدگرد)
A dialogue-driven film centered on power, truth, and historical transition after the fall of the Sasanian Empire. Students analyze argumentative Persian and layered narrative speech.

Week Three – Sarbedaran (سربداران)
Scenes portray popular resistance and religious–political discourse in medieval Khorasan. Emphasis is placed on historical vocabulary and ideological language.

Week Four – Roozi Roozegari (روزی روزگاری)
This series presents folklore, morality, and social relations in a pre-modern Iranian setting. Learners explore narrative Persian and character-based speech styles.

Week Five – Hezardastan (هزار دستان)
A rich depiction of late Qajar society and early modern Iran through complex dialogues. Focus is on formal Persian, power relations, and social hierarchy.

Week Six – Mirza Kuchik Khan (میرزا کوچک خان)
The series explores the Jangal Movement and early 20th-century political struggle. Political terminology and persuasive language are analyzed in historical context.

Week Seven – Kamalolmolk (کمال‌الملک)
A biographical portrayal of art, authority, and modernization in early Pahlavi Iran. Students examine refined, intellectual Persian and cultural references.

Week Eight – The Cow (گاو)
A symbolic look at rural life and collective identity before the Revolution. The focus is on village speech, metaphor, and social psychology.

Week Nine – The Glass Agency (آژانس شیشه‌ای)
Intense dialogues reveal post-war trauma, morality, and political tension. Learners analyze emotional, confrontational Persian in modern settings.

Week Ten – Children of Heaven (بچه‌های آسمان)

Everyday family life and childhood in 1990s Tehran are depicted through simple yet expressive language. Emphasis is on colloquial Persian and daily interactions.

Week Eleven – A Separation (جدایی نادر از سیمین)
A realistic portrayal of contemporary Iranian society, law, and ethics. Students engage with modern spoken Persian and legal-social discourse.

Week Twelve – Shahrzad (شهرزاد)
Blending romance, politics, and history, the series offers rich and natural dialogues. Focus is on idiomatic Persian and cultural memory in modern Iran.

Course Details

Schedule: Wednesdays, 28 January 2026 – 8 April 2026

Time: 9:00-10:00 am (US Pacific), 12:00–01:00 pm (US Eastern), 6:00–7:00 PM (Central European)

Format: 12 online sessions

Tuition: $300 (payable in 3 installments)

Notes:

Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees.

Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials, including curated sequences from the films and television series.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/4DJhsMC9b8EQpUGu6