Vida Ghahremani

• Name — Vida Ghahremani ویدا قهرمانی • Born — 12 June 1936 • Birthplace — Tehran, Imperial State of Iran • Died — 1 June 2018 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Other Names — Malihe Ghahremani • Occupation — Actress, educator, writer, designer • Years Active — 1954–2016

Vida Ghahremani was born 12 June 1936 in Tehran. She began acting in films as a teenager, under the mentorship and influence of Khan Baba Motazedi. Her earliest work was in 1955 in Crossroad of Events (Chahar Rah-e Havades); followed by a 1958 film called Storm in Our Time (Toofan dar Shahr-e Ma). She was known for the first romantic kiss to be portrayed in Iranian cinema, when she played opposite to Naser Malek Motiei in Crossroad of Events (1955). She was just a teenager around 16 or 17 years old during the filming of the first kiss. and as a result she was expelled from Shahdokht High School during her final year. After receiving her degree in Early Childhood Development, she worked at Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, Tehran. In the 1960s, Ghahremani and her husband David Yeghiazarian opened the Cafe Kuchini in Tehran, a music venue and coffeehouse; which became a source of material for her later writings and theater work. She was the mother of three children.

She had lived in Canada for less than a decade, before moving to California. Ghahremani taught creative theatre and Persian language in Pleasanton, California and at the Berkeley Persian Center, where she had been an active member since its establishment in 1992. In 2008, Ghahremani published Aroussi-e Khaaleh ("Auntie’s Wedding"), a collection of autobiographic stories. Her second book, Safar-e Kaash ("A Trip to Kaash"), published in 2010, was an autobiographical story of adventures during her early years of marriage to David Yeghiazarian. Ghahremani received a B.A. degree in Early Childhood Education and held a diploma in Directing and Producing television. She was a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the Gem and Mineral society. In 2007, she finished a film with director Wayne Wang called A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, as supporting actress. Her daughter is Torange Yeghiazarian, an actress and one of the founding artistic directors of Golden Thread Productions in San Francisco. Ghahremani served as an artistic associate at Golden Thread Productions. In 2015, she produced and starred in the theater work Isfahan Blues, in collaboration with Golden Thread Productions, Torange Yeghiazarian, L. Peter Callender, Nakissa Etemad, Laura Hope, and Marcus Shelby; it was inspired by the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s 1963 tour in Iran. Isfahan Blues dealt with the theme of music as a gateway to power and creativity.

• Date — Title — Country released — Role — Notes • 1955 — Crossroad of Events — Iran — young woman — directed by Samuel Khachikian • 1958 — Storm in Our Town — Iran — Pari — directed by Samuel Khachikian • 1961 — Fire and Ashes — Iran — starring with Vigen • 1961 — The Hundred Kilo Bridegroom — Iran • 1961 — Midnight Terror (Faryade nimeshab) — Iran — Mehri • 2007 — A Thousand Years of Good Prayers — U.S. — Madame — directed by Wayne Wang • 2008 — The Stoning of Soraya M. — U.S. — Mrs. Massoud • 2016 — Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero — U.S. — Maman (or Mother) — directed by Jonathan Kesselman and written by Maz Jobrani and Amir Ohebsion