HOLLYWOOD, CA--(Marketwired - September 12, 2017) - A DYING KING: THE SHAH OF IRAN, written and directed by filmmaker Bobak Kalhor, will premiere in Southern California theatres including the Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills beginning November 15, 2017, and Town Center in Encino beginning November 16, 2017, and expanding into other cities around the nation. The film will be globally distributed by Vision Films in January 2018 across all DVD and VOD platforms including Amazon, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, Hoopla and various Cable providers.
This geopolitical documentary examines one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the Middle East. On January 16,1979, the then Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, left Iran commencing on what became a 19-month odyssey to exile in Egypt, Morocco, Bahamas, Mexico, US, Panama, and back to Egypt again where he passed away on July 27, 1980-exactly 557 days after being forced from his Peacock Throne into exile.
His death had profound consequences for the future of the Middle East and the world, and as a result, the untold medical story of the late Shah of Iran has remained a puzzling mystery, until now. This original documentary includes first-person accounts from leading world-class physicians from across the globe that directly interacted with the Shah. By following the medical footprint of the deposed monarch, A DYING KING: THE SHAH OF IRAN reveals the main causes of the Iranian revolution and investigates the events that led to the hostage crisis and put an end to relations between the U.S. and Iran.
"I was fascinated by the subject matter," said Jim Cardwell, president of CARU Pictures and the former president of Warner Home Video.
"This film is about a very interesting piece of history and Bobak is a fantastic storyteller," said Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO, Vision Films. "It made me realize what a misunderstood country Iran is and how much it's early leaders sacrificed for their people."
"This film is the culmination of seven years of chasing shadows and trying to reconstruct a series of events that led to the removal of a monarchy and the birth of an Imamate in Iran," said Bobak Kalhor. "The King's illness was a natural place to start, as his mortality seemed to be the one tangible connection to reality that made the Shah's motivations seem human. This film explains things that have never been revealed until now including what the Shah's actual illness was, his diagnosis and when it first took place and how it was treated."
Filmmaker Bobak Kalhor first came to the United States in 1976, just a few years before the 1979 Iranian Revolution that ended the Pahlavi monarchy and brought about the Islamic Republic. During those last years of the Shah's reign, his family traveled back and forth, before deciding to permanently settle in the U.S. in 1979. The impact of Iran's revolution on that seven-year old boy (Kalhor) was the genesis for A DYING KING. Factor in his experience of watching anti-U.S. street demonstrations on Tehran's streets, experiencing anti-Iran hostility in the U.S. following the taking of its embassy and the unanswered questions about the Shah's fate you understand why questions still remain nearly 40 years later.
Prior to producing A DYING KING, from 2008 to 2011 Kalhor produced and hosted a popular call-in radio program in Los Angeles that centered on U.S./Iran politics. He then went on to serve as the assistant general manager at 670 AM KIRN and the general manager for Radio Iran LA before moving on to produce this documentary.
About Vision Films:
Vision Films is an Independent worldwide distributor and VOD aggregator of over 800 feature films, documentaries and music programs from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision Films releases two to four films a month through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and manages all the windows between Theatrical, DVD, VOD, and Television.
About CARU Pictures
CARU Pictures ("CARU") acquires distribution rights and theatrically distributes finished feature films that focus on genre and subject matter appealing to specific targeted audiences. In addition, CARU provides downstream distribution services, film financing, and packaging services.
For more information about the film, please visit http://adyingking.com.
Embedded Video Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta9YYc9uxvc
Contact Information:
CONTACTS:
AMY PRENNER/ALFRED HOPTON
(310) 709-1101/(310) 508-8866