Saman Arastoo[1] (Persian: سامان ارسطو; born Farzaneh Arastoo (فرزانه ارسطو) on 5 June 1967 in Shahrud, Iran) is an Iranian actor[2] and director. He starred in the 2003 drama Abadan prior to gender transition, and directs plays regarding the acceptance of transgender people in Iranian society.[3]

Saman Arastoo
سامان ارسطو
Born
Farazaneh Arastoo
فرزانه ارسطو

(1967-06-05) 5 June 1967 (age 57)
Shahrud, Iran
Occupation(s)Actor, director

Career

edit

Following wide publicity around his gender transition, Arastoo has been a public figure for the Iranian transgender community, including holding drama therapy workshops such as "Self Cognition".[4][5] His play Khodkar-é-Bikar (Useless Pen) features transgender characters played by transgender actors.[6]

Arastoo founded the Avaye Divanegan Theatre Group in 1983.[7][8] The name translates to "Music of the Crazed."[9]

Filmography

edit
Year Title Role
2003 Abadan[10] Actor
2004 Friday's Soldiers[11] Actor
2008 Tigh-zan[12] Actor

Personal life

edit

Arastoo describes his first marriage in 1991 as a "forced marriage" for which the divorce lasted one and a half years. He underwent sex reassignment surgeries at age 42 in 2008. He married again in 2015.[3][13]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Saman Arastoo - Google News". Google News. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  2. ^ "سامان ارسطو: آوای دیوانگان جایش در تئاتر ملی و دولتی کجاست؟! - اخبار تسنیم - Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم - Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  3. ^ a b "Agonizing Odyssey of Iranian Transsexual: From Despair to Survival". IFP News. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  4. ^ "AvayeDivanegan – TRANSSEXUAL WORKSHOP". www.avayedivanegan.com. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  5. ^ "Nazra: Facing Mirrors". www.brownpapertickets.com. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  6. ^ "Iran's transgender community: Legally recognised yet socially ostracised". euronews. 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  7. ^ "Nazra: Facing Mirrors". Eyes Wide Open Cinema. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  8. ^ "نادیا باوند on Instagram: "Dear recipient, We are Avaye Divanegan Theater Group from Tehran/Iran and are pleased to invite you to watch "Be who you're not"…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  9. ^ Kavianifar, Farinaz (2019-04-14). "Working Off-Script: Transgender Awareness in Iranian Black Box Theatres: An Interview with Sāmān Arasṭoo". The Theatre Times. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  10. ^ Haghighi, Mani (2004-05-05), Abadan, Ehsan Amani, Farzaneh Arastoo, Dariush Asadzade, retrieved 2018-04-13
  11. ^ Kimiai, Masud (2004-07-29), Friday's Soldiers, Mohammad Reza Forutan, Bahram Radan, Poulad Kimiayi, retrieved 2018-04-13
  12. ^ Davoudnejad, Alireza, Tigh-zan, Reza Attaran, Ladan Mostofi, Reza Davoudnejad, retrieved 2018-04-13
  13. ^ "فیلم | روایت زندگی بازیگری که تغییر جنسیت داد از زبان خودش" [Movie | The narrative of the actress who gave sex change from his own language] (in Persian). 5 February 1396.
edit