Comeback [Shorts Session 1]
Comeback is the story of the Iranian National Polo team’s return to the international scene. Iran is the birthplace of polo but soon after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the sport all but disappeared in Iran. Comeback documents the history of polo in Iran, it’s near demise, and eventually Iran’s return to the international scene. The film was directed by Reza Sayah, produced by Shokoofeh Farazmand, filmed and edited by Ali Jalali. The film is in Farsi with English subtitles.
Director
Reza Sayah is a journalist and filmmaker based in Tehran, Iran.
In 2008, he helped launch CNN’s bureau in Islamabad, Pakistan where for the next five years he reported on the country’s ongoing political turmoil, the government campaign against the Taliban, and the search for Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
In 2013, Sayah moved to Cairo, Egypt where he covered the crisis that followed the Egyptian revolution, the uprising that toppled former president Mohammad Morsy, and the election of current president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.
Prior to working for CNN, he spent more than ten years reporting for major news networks in the United States where he covered the 2000 and 2004 US presidential elections, numerous natural disasters, and the attacks of 9/11.
Sayah has also covered the conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine.
In 2015, he moved back to Tehran where he co-founded Ravian Films – a production company that specializes in documentary films, broadcast news reports, and video storytelling.