Reza H. Akbari
@rezahakbari
PhD Candidate AU History - Program Manager IWPR MENA - Iranian-American - inforezaakbari@gmail.com - I write The Guarded Domains, a Substack newsletter focused on Iran and the broader Middle East region.
May you rest in peace. Thank you for a lifetime of laughter. I hope your journey is gentle and full of light. 5/5
Every role felt inhabited and unmistakably his. Whether making us laugh until we cried or revealing the quiet sadness beneath the humor, he possessed a rare gift. He could make every performance feel deeply human. 4/5
From the nostalgic coming-of-age series I'm Late for School Again to his iconic roles in Dariush Mehrjui's The Tenants, Ali Hatami's Delshodegan (Love-Stricken), Davood Mir-Bagheri's Snowman, Naser Taghvai's O Iran, and Reza Attaran's I Feel Sleepy. The list could go on and on. 3/5
I grew up with his work. Like millions of Iranians, I laughed endlessly at his iconic comedic roles and was moved to tears by his performances in dramas like Ali Hatami's Mother. 2/5
Devastated to hear the news of Akbar Abdi's passing. A legend. A king of comedy. A master of drama. A true actor. For nearly 50 years, he entertained an entire nation. 1/5 #Iran
Maybe I was just naive, or my innate optimism created blind spots, but I did not imagine I would witness anything to this extent in my lifetime. 2/3
I am going to leave this here to preserve this moment. Some horrors also need to be preserved. A dark, unsettling, and dispiriting moment for #Iran, the Middle East, and the United States. A disaster in the making. And yes, an even bigger disaster than it already has been. 1/3
Dior's latest campaign was meant to be a tribute to timeless elegance. Iranians, however, immediately noticed something else: the latest vogue looked remarkably like what their dads, uncles, and teachers wore in the 1960s. The rest is meme history... #Iran
In my latest, I translate the testimony of a resident of Bushehr who remained in the city through weeks of bombardment, walking its streets, talking to people, and bearing witness to the fear, uncertainty, humor, and resilience of everyday life under fire. 2/3 #Iran