As one of the beautiful faces of VOA Persian Service, Luna Shad hosts the Cultural Magazine Shabahang that is followed by millions of viewers worldwide and in Iran thanks to Satellite Dishes and online filters. Hosted by Luna Shad during the week and by Behnood Mokri on weekends, Shabahang blends news with in-depth reports and medical updates, along with features on developments in science and technology, entertainment, movie reviews, social issues, cultural features, legal issues, and sports. I got to learn about her show by a happy coincidence after being reached for an interview to talk about the rising Iranian-American film community and for a cultural event I was helping to promote in Europe. Being wary of most Iranian TV productions in America particularly in LA where mediocrity and ideological propaganda co-exist, I was on the contrary positively surprised by discovering the programs of VOA-Persian that greatly reminded me of the best hours of Iranian Television before the Revolution based on rich content, a communicative enthusiasm and respect for its viewers. Main host Luna Shad and co-presenters and columnists like the excellent film critic and commentator Behnam Nateghi give an overview of not only Iranian Arts but more generally of the Arts on a global basis. They certainly contribute to getting Iranians out of our cultural ghetto by giving voice to known and unknown Iranian Artists of the Diaspora who are bridging stronger ties with the American and European Arts Community. Very much like our online magazine PersianMirror, Shabahang succeeds in introducing Diaspora Artists to Iranians back home and vice versa. In an age where Art seems to play a more efficient role in rallying Iranians than politics, Shabahang’s constructive approach has drawn attention of filmmakers from Iran such as Jafar Panahi, or Shahrokh Bahrololumi, to name a few, who eagerly accept to be on the Show to promote their films. Not surprising then to learn that the beautiful Luna Shad collaborated with Abbas Kiarostami for an Art video installation entitled Sleepers at the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2000. She has also played in one of the latest films of the other Iranian Maestro Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Kandahar, Salam Cinema) in the much expected Scream of the Ants and a short sequence from the latter titled The Chair  . She has also modeled for a Washington D.C. based conceptual artist Negar Assari-Samimi whose work will be presented soon at an Iranian Women Conference in D.C.

al style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I was therefore very happy to have the opportunity to speak to her again.

LS: Sh