Fictionville Studio
Welcome to a world of imagination and delight!
Fictionville Studio
Welcome to a world of imagination and delight!
The Seven Trails of Rostam
“A VIBRANT pop-up book” - New York Times
Riding on the success of our award-winning pop up book, Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent Kings, we have created a brand new pop up book, The Seven Trials of Rostam - another magical journey into the world of Shahnameh.
8 stunning pages, 12 intricate mechanics, and enclosed in a beautiful slipcase.
In English, French, and Italian with Persian script. Hand crafted.
Shahnameh Audiobook Experience
Introduction by Francis Ford Coppola
This 12-hour listening experience is read by award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson from our Shahnameh: The Epic of The Persian Kings. With meticulous sound effect design and music editing, Hamid Rahmanian takes the listener on a sonic journey back in time, to the mythical world of heroes, monsters, magical creatures, lovers, and warriors in the ancient land of Iran. This modern rendition of the epic is an unprecedented audiobook experience to delight, educate and entertain the spectators from all walks of life. The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years.
SHahnameh proJect
We have created a website specifically for our Shahnameh Project that includes our book, Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings, Feathers of Fire and more.
SHahnameh proJect
We have created a website specifically for our Shahnameh Project that includes our book, Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings, Feathers of Fire and more.
For the past fifteen years, we have been working on the Shahnameh Project, a multi-disciplinary project revolving around the classical Persian mythology, Shahnameh by Ferdowsi.
The works include the best-selling illustrated translation and adaptation, Shahnameh The Epic of the Persian Kings. This 600 page tome comes in regular and limited editions. The book was illustrated by Hamid Rahmanian and translated and adapted by Ahmad Sadri and published by Liveright. It is also available as an immersive audiobook.
The award-winning shadow play, Feathers of Fire tells the love story of Zaul and Rudabeh comes to life in this breathtaking cinematic live theater performance. It was followed by the new production Song of the North, which tells the tale of Bijan and Manijeh and is currently touring around the world.
We have also created a 20 minute shadow play that retells the story of one of Shahnameh's great villains in Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King that is making it's way on theater stages around the country.
We are currently preparing to release a second pop up book, The Seven Trials of Rostam this fall, following the immensely popular, award-winning Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King, which is now out of print. And we are working on a complete translation of Shahnameh which will be available in the Fall 2023.
You can learn more about our Shahnameh Project on our website, Kingorama.com. You can order our books, prints and other merchandise and keep up with our performance schedules.
Theater
Theater
Song of the North
New York Times Critic’s Pick
”Breathtaking fireworks of creativity” - Le Monde
”The Persian soul and culture vibrate in this original and poetic show.” - Toute La Culture
”Out of the ordinary!” - Les Echos
It is one of the slickest large shadow shows ever made,The story, the delivery, it's all 10 / 10. - UNIMA -USA
Song of the North is a large-scale, cinematic performance combining the manual art of shadow puppetry with projected animation to tell the courageous tale of Manijeh, a heroine from ancient Persia, who must use all her strengths and talents to rescue her beloved, Bijan, from a perilous predicament of her own making and help prevent a war. This epic love story employs a cast of 500 handmade puppets and a talented ensemble of nine actors and puppeteers, all of which come together to create a spectacular experience that advances the themes of unity, collaboration, and experimentation through performance and story. Song of the North, adapted from the Book of Kings (Shahnameh), challenges the Eurocentric worldview of art and storytelling through a contemporary multimedia experience of this classic Persian tale. (80 minutes)
FEATHERS OF FIRE
RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 UNIMA-USA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LIVE PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN
112 SHOWS AND 100,000 SPECTATORS WORLDWIDE
Fantastic! spectacular,...cinematic wizardry"
Francis Ford Coppola
Astonishing and Magical! Le Figaro
”A masterpiece” -NYC Theater Review
"A feast for the senses." - Puppeteering Intl. Magazine
"Jaw dropping" - PBS/KCET
”You've never seen anything like this” -Broadway Review
The play unfolds an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh (‘The Book of Kings’), – Zaul and Rudabeh, who triumph at the end against all odds. Rahmanian's graphics, derived from the visual tradition of the region, are rendered as puppets, costumes, masks, scenography and digital animation, all of which come to life in a “live animation” shadow casting technique perfected by shadow master Larry Reed on a cinema-size screen. The play also features an original score by the acclaimed musical team, Loga Ramin Torkian & Azam Ali. Feathers of Fire had its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2016. For more information visit www.Kingorama.com
Watch Feathers of Fire on Vimeo.
Pop some popcorn, dim the lights, and enjoy the family friendly epic tale from Shahnameh.
Already seen it? Give it as a gift to your friends and family here.
Prince of Sorrows
Commissioned by the SilkRoad Ensemble
Prince of Sorrows was created as part of the Silkroad Ensemble’s music and art collaborative project Heroes Take Their Stand in 2019.
Adapted, designed and directed by Hamid Rahmanian
Music composed by Kayhan Kalhour
Animation: Qmars Kalami
Character illustration: Syd Fini
Calligraphy: Mohsen Ebadi
Running time: 23 minutes
Mina's Dream
Mina’s Dream is a specially commissioned performance by the Onassis Foundation. This 15-minute shadow play tells the story of a young girl whose dreams are bigger than her community’s social pressures and decrees. A young actor performs behind a screen that displays animated characters and objects, representing those who try to keep her from pursuing her dreams. A soundscape of live music, voices and effects create a tension and struggle that the young protagonist must fight against. (2016)
A shadow play by Hamid Rahmanian
Performed by Maire Vigliotta
Animation: Naghmeh Farzaneh
Music: Nima Farzaneh
Sound Design: David Wilson
Storyboards: Syd FiniVoice overs: Elmira Rahim, Sedate Threatt, Danielle Larson and Tarah Pollack Assistant Directors: Anita Maghduri and Neda Kazemifar
Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King
Persian legend comes to life with live musical accompaniment and intricate shadow puppetry. From the Shahnameh or Book of Kings - an epic narrative penned in the 10th century by Persian poet Ferdowsi—this shadow play tells the story of a misguided prince who becomes the villainous Serpent King.
Films
Films
For the past 20 years, we've been making films that take audiences on journeys into unique and rarely seen worlds, offer new perspectives and challenge stereotypes.
Watch our films right here on our website or buy the DVDs.
For over 30 years Hamid Rahmanian has been working in the graphic design field. He owned and managed a top firm in Tehran and In 1992, he was awarded recognition as the youngest professional designer in Iran. He has received numerous awards for his achievements and his work has been exhibited in international festivals and competitions. He has been commissioned to do work for cultural organizations and commercial companies such as The United Nations, GQ Magazine, Lincoln Center, Pacifica Radio/Democracy Now!
About Us
About Us
Husband and wife team Hamid Rahmanian and Melissa Hibbard have created award‐winning documentary and fiction film, graphic design, photography and literature for over two decades. Their films have received international awards and screened worldwide at festivals, theaters and on television. Their latest undertaking, the Shahnameh Project includes a 600-page illustrated edition of the 1000-year-old Persian epic poem, Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings. Based on this best-selling book, they created two cinematic shadow plays: Feathers of Fire and Song of the North; two pop up books titled Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King and The Seven Trials of Rostam, and an immersive audiobook of the original tome.