A narration of Hassan Kamalyan eventful memoirs:

"Mr. KM"

Alireza Khazaei
Translated by: Fazel Shirazd

2020-2-18

The book "Mr. KM" is narration of Hassan Kamalyan's eventful memoirs of his attendance in war as an cameraman and documentary-maker authored and researched by Reza Paksima and published by "Rah-e Yar" Publications in Office of the Islamic Revolution's Cultural Front in January, 2019.

The goal of the Office of the Islamic Revolution Cultural Front in collecting the oral memoirs of popular activists in social, political, scientific, economic, and military fields can be seen as an attempt to preserve popular movements that preceded the revolution, after the victory of the revolution, and from the time of the Iraqi imposed war against. It has helped to advance the goals of the Islamic Revolution. Emphasizing that the revolution in the humanities requires an accurate reading of this subject, the unit does not regard Iranian humanities as separate from the educational, managerial, economic, cultural, and social experiences of revolutionary people in the 1970s and 1980s. Thus, reviewing these popular experiences is considered as a treasure and publishes its books titled "Treasure".

Mr. KM book aims to convey Hassan Kamalyan's experience in pre-revolutionary activities, during the imposed war and afterwards as a photographer and documentary artist. This book is the third work in the series "Documentary and Popular Cinema of the Islamic Revolution" published under the Oral History section of Islamic Revolution's Cultural Front (Treasure).

Hassan Kamalyan, a documentary maker and photographer of sacred defense, began his photography career at the audiovisual unit of Islamic Republic Party and became a member of the Revolutionary Guards propaganda unit in 1980.

Reza Paksima, the author of the book, explains in his introduction about the familiarity with Hassan Kamalyan, the reasons for choosing this subject, and the time it took to compile it. He attributes the goodwill and attractiveness of Kamalyan's memories of working in the audiovisual unit of the Islamic Republic Party and the propaganda during the years of sacred defense, a key factor in persuading him to write the book. According to Paksima, there have been three interviews with the narrator.

The author poses specialized questions in drawing out the process of interviewing, editing and preparing the book, in light of Kamalyan's presence in the operations of Mullah Mutaqaian (AS), Ramadan, Muslim ibn Aqil, and the Kamyaran region during the holy defense, to record narrator's memories completely; After arranging the interviews, she began editing them.

He also conducts 9 additional interviews with Hassan Kamalyan, from May 19th to January 2018, to address the textual deficiencies.

 The author did not merely speak to Kamalyan, he conducted brief interviews with individuals such as Dr. Nasser Kamalian, Javad Ardakani, Ahmad Bian, and Hamid Reza Soheili, whom the narrator spoke about their activities. Finally, by rewriting the interviews, he has published the final text of Mr. Kamalyan's biography in fifteen chapters.

The book "Mr. KM" was unveiled with the family of martyrs Shamloo and Basir on January 13rd 2019, at same time with the closing ceremony of the central screening of the 10^th Ammar Festival in Mashhad.

Here are some excerpts from Hassan Kamalyan's eventful story:

"In May 1981, we went to Tehran with Hojjatoleslam Alavi on a mission. We were informed that we could attend in the speech of the Imam Khomeini to workers on the occasion of Labor Day. I was going up the stairs of Jamaran, Imam entered Hosseiniyeh[1]. I was so fascinated by Imam's face that I forgot that I was there to photography. I was in a position to get the imam back and take a photo. Imam Khomeini returned for a moment; I realized that it was my favorite angle. I also flashed my camera and took a photo. This flash made people look at the camera and distract. I felt that the Imam returned his head with a look of so gloomy dignity at me, that I laid my camera away.”(Page 72)

"One of the activities that I had in common with the Revolutionary Guard's audiovisual unit was the preparation of a photo of authorities' trip to Mashhad. Rajai traveled to Mashhad during his presidency. As Martyr Raja'i arrived at Mashhad Airport, I was along with him. Unlike the other characters, Rajai did not ride the special machine had been prepared for him and did not accept whatever he was insisted on. Rajai and some of his companions boarded the airport route to the city center on a single bus. I also got on the bus with the bodyguard of Rajai, named Seyed Reza Shokri, a member of the Guard's public relations and some members of government. Some people noticed the prime minister's presence on the bus and welcomed him. What was interesting to me was Rajai’s greeting with people from inside the bus.

"Two young men were mounting DShK on its base. As soon as they saw my camera in my hand, said: "Take a photo of us, too." I said to them: "I'm looking for a case. They answered, "Do we have to be martyred and become a case?! Well, take a photo! "; I set up the camera and took pictures of them. Five, six steps away from them, a terrifying sound caused me to be thrown me a few meters away. As I looked behind me, these two youths had fallen to the ground with a bloody face. When I reached them, they were both martyred and became a case of photography. Later I handed over the photographs that I had taken minutes before and after their testimony."(Page 92).