Petros Palian
Petros Palian | |
|---|---|
پطروس پالیان | |
| Born | 1 May 1931 Tehran, Pahlavi Iran (now Iran) |
| Died | 15 March 2023 (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Peter Palian |
| Education | Syracuse University |
| Occupations | Cinematographer, videographer, film producer, memoirist |
| Spouse | Rose Schreier (m. 1967) |
Petros "Peter" Palian (Persian: پطروس پالیان, Armenian: Պետրոս Պալյան; 1 May 1931 – 15 March 2023) was an Iranian Armenian cinematographer and videographer.[1] He was the videographer for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the 1950s.
Life and career
Petros Palian was born on 1 May 1931, in Tehran, Pahlavi Iran, to a family of Armenian heritage.[2] His father died when he was 3 years old.[2]
Palian was the exclusive videographer for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the royal court for 7 years in the 1950s.[1][3][4] He attended Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, and studied film.[1][5] Palian married in 1967 to Rose Schreier from New Jersey, after marriage the couple lived in New York City.[5]
Palian was awarded the 1961 Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his work on Flaming Poppies, and the 1964 "Best Youth Film Award" at the Cannes Film Festival for his work on Dawn of the Capricorn.[3]
Palian lived in Los Angeles after the Iranian Revolution, where he worked as the director of photography for many of Amir Shervan's films under the name "Peter". He published his memoirs in the book titled, I Shot the Shah: The Untold Stories (2018).[6]
He died at age 91 on 15 March 2023, in Los Angeles.[1][3][4]
Filmography
| Date | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Halo (1955 film) | videographer | [3] |
| 1963 | Flaming Poppies | cinematographer | a short documentary film[3] |
| 1964 | Dawn of the Capricorn | cinematographer | also known as Dawn of the Jedi[3][7][8] |
| 1965 | Night of the Hunchback | cinematographer | |
| 1967 | Siavash in Persepolis | cinematographer | [9] |
| 1968 | Love After Death | director of photography | |
| 1969 | The Invincible Six | second unit photographer | [10] |
| 1972 | An Isfahani in New York | cinematographer, film producer, editor | [11] |
| 1974 | Friends (1974 film) | cinematographer | |
| 1978 | Made in Iran | cinematographer, director of photography | |
| 1982 | Assignment Berlin | cinematographer | [12] |
| 1987 | Hollywood Cop | director of photography | [13] |
| 1991 | Samurai Cop | cinematographer | [14] |
| 2005 | Dangerous Men | cinematographer |
References
- ^ a b c d "پطروس پالیان، فیلمبردار اختصاصی پادشاه فقید ایران، در سن ۹۲ سالگی درگذشت" [Petros Palian, the personal cameraman of the late Iranian king, has died at the age of 92]. ایندیپندنت فارسی (Persian The Independent) (Obituary) (in Persian). 15 March 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Shah's dedicated cameraman passed away at the age of 92". One Box News. 15 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "پطروس پالیان، فیلمبردار اختصاصی دربار شاه، در ۹۲ سالگی در لسآنجلس درگذشت" [Petros Palian, the Shah's exclusive cameraman, died in Los Angeles at the age of 92]. رادیو فردا (Radio Farda) (Obituary) (in Persian). March 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b "پطروس پالیان، فیلمبردار اختصاصی محمدرضا شاه پهلوی، در ۹۲ سالگی در لس آنجلس درگذشت" [Petros Palian, the personal cameraman of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, died in Los Angeles at the age of 92]. Iran International (in Persian). 15 March 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Marriage of Schreier and Palian". Bernardsville News. 9 March 1967. p. 14. Retrieved 9 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Royal Court Cinematographer Petros Palian Dies at 91". MassisPost. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Anvar, Behrouz. "بررسي فيلم «سیاوش در تخت جمشید» فريدون رهنما/بهروز انوار" [Review of the film "Siavash in Persepolis" by Fereydoun Rahnama]. chouk.ir (in Persian). Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
- ^ "Dawn of the Capricorne". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Jiran, Fereydoun (5 January 1993). "سرنوشت سياوش در تخت جمشيد" [The Fate of Siavash in Persepolis]. Etemad Newspaper, No. 3016 (in Persian). Archived from the original on 30 July 2014.
- ^ Capua, Michelangelo (11 August 2017). Jean Negulesco: The Life and Films. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2752-6.
- ^ "An Esfahani in New York | Yak isfahānī dar New York | یک اصفهانی در نیویورک". Cinema Iranica. ISSN 3064-9617. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Ex-SU Student Makes Terrorism Flim". The Post-Standard. 15 March 1982. p. 17. Retrieved 9 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Iranian-American B Movies at the V&A". Bidoun. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Garbarini, Todd (15 July 2013). "DVD Review: Amir Shervan's "Samurai Cop"". Cinema Retro. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2026.