Lion Tombstones and their Sculptors

Iran/France/UK. Date: 2014. Running time: 70' Director: Pedram Khosronejad Camera: Marie Chevais, Pedram Khosronejad, Editing: Sepideh Abtahi Synopsis: This documentary is about lion tombstones among the Bakhtiari nomads. In the majority of cases it was seasonal stonemasons who mostly made lion tombstones for the Bakhtiari. From their childhood, seasonal stonemasons traveled with their fathers, thus learning the trade at first hand. Generally, they were neither Lor nor Bakhtiari: they were city-dwellers, living in towns around the Bakhtiari territories, such as Hafshejan, Shahr-e Kord, and Khansar. The presence of these stonemasons in the Bakhtiari territories permitted the latter to learn their techniques, either by observing the stonemasons or by helping them. Over the course of time, the lives of these stonemasons have changed greatly, and indeed the Bakhtiari's new way of life does not permit them to continue their traditional existence. The progressive settling of the Bakhtiari means they now lead a more modern way of life, in which there is no longer a need for seasonal stonemasons. This film is about the relationship of these seasonal stonemasons and the Bakhtiari regarding the production of lion tombstones.