| Zero Degree Turn مدار صفر درجه |
|
|---|---|
Shahab Hosseini, Madare sefr darajeh |
|
| Format | Political, Romance, Historical |
| Created by | Hassan Fathi |
| Starring | Shahab Hosseini Nathalie Matti Roya Teymourian Masoud Raigan Pierre Dagher Laya Zanganeh Iraj Rad Atheneh Faghih Nassiri Payam Dehkordi Rahim Noroozi Farrokh Nemati Esmail Shangaleh Fadi Edward Hasmiq Taschgian Ahmad Saatchian Ali Qorbanzadeh Kioomars Malek Motiei |
| Ending theme | When I Fell in Love (vaghti ke man ashegh shodam) |
| Country of origin | Iran Hungary France Lebanon |
| Language(s) | Persian French German |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Hassan Beshkoufeh |
| Cinematography | Morteza Poursamadi |
| Running time | Each episode approximately 50 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 1 (Iran) |
| Original run | April 23, 2007 – November, 2007 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Zero Degree Turn (Persian: مدار صفر درجه, Madare sefr darajeh) is a 2007 television series, made through the cooperation of Iran, Hungary, France and Lebanon. The program was one of most expensive and elaborate ever produced by Iran and attracted a large audience there.[1] It is based on a real life story about Iranian diplomat Abdol Hossein Sardari who saved Jews in 1940s Paris during the Nazi Occupation by giving out Iranian passports and allowing them refuge in the Iranian Embassy.
Contents |
Set in the time of the Second World War, Madare sefr darajeh follows the life of an Iranian student named Habib Parsa (Shahab Hosseini) who travels to Paris to study. There Habib meets a French Jewish woman named Sara Astrok, a student at the same university. At first antagonistic toward one another, Habib and Sarah eventually fall in love. They run into many problems, including persecution by the Nazis and by Sarah's Zionist uncle, but are united in the end.[1]
The government financed film has been widely cited as an effort by the government to demonstrate its positions in regards to the difference between Jews and Zionists, encompassing sympathy for the Jewish people(including an orthodox view of the Holocaust) while remaining hostile to Zionism.[2]
The director of the series, Hassan Fathi, said about it, "I decided to produce this series in 2002, and in those days the Holocaust was not an issue. Even if one single Jew is killed in German camps, the world should be ashamed. By the same token, if a single Palestinian dies, the world should be ashamed. I sympathize with the Jewish victims of World War II, to the same extent with women and children victims of the war in Palestine." [1]
The TV series won the praise and support of Iran's Jewish Association, an independent body that safeguards the community's culture and heritage. The association has criticized Mr. Ahmadinejad's comments about the Holocaust but has praised Mr. Fatthi's show.[2]
The series was retitled Zero Point Orbit for its 2007 release by Bita Film, Tarzana, California. The Persian title is unchanged. The DVDs include neither English nor Persian subtitles.