Luna Shad, a French Iranian woman is
probably one of the most famous faces of on camera in the exile after the
Islamic revolution in Iran.
After September 11, 2001 tragic events,
the U.S. funded broadcast Voice of America Persian Television received a
generous funding in order to expand television programming to Iran. The founder of the T.V. show Ahmad-Reza
Baharloo was seeking around the world to recruit young Iranian talents who
could display the young Iranians in exile to the young Iranians inside
Iran. The program was called, "Next
Chapter" a half an hour news magazine show beamed to Iran for youth. A number of different members were interviewed
and various individuals from different backgrounds were hired to be part of the
show that eventually was launched on the first anniversary of 9/11
attacks.
Luna Shad, a French Iranian woman was one
of the talents who moved to Washington from France to join the show. I first met Luna in late 2002 when she showed
up for her interview. Being in hard core
political news all my life, I was used to a very conservative group of
individuals who only focused on the policy and not on the looks. Then there was Luna in the most provocative
outfit. She was wearing a tight black
dress with holes on two sides from her arms down to the knee with hip high heel
shoes and an unusual hair do. Watching
her looks was a shock to me and many others in the department and we were all
wondering what will she be doing for the show?
Her pretty looks and provocative French style outfits didn't work too
well with the conservative Washington government funded TV program. However, in no time Luna displayed a certain
liberation for the women of Iran whose desires were suppressed under the
covers. Luna became the face of the many
young Iranians who yearned to show their femininity thru fashion and wild
outfits. Her presence on the camera was
an immediate sensation. As America actor
Robert Redford said in the movie "Up close and personal" about
Michele Pfeiffer who was a young ambitious new talent in the movie, "She
eats the lens." That was Luna. A beautiful, stylish, provocative young woman
whose style of open talk and wild outfits started a different genre in the face
of broadcast after Islamic revolution.
There is no need to go on because if you do a simple google search about
her, you will see the millions of fans she has around the world with a great
following even after she left Voice of America in 2006.
I lost touch with Luna when I started new
paths in journalism which eventually led me to Afghanistan. I found out she directed and produced a movie
called, "Keys to my Home" I knew even after she left Voice of America,
her desire to be creative and open new paths in the industry was endless. I was smiling for her from far away even
though I couldn't see her. Recently one
night when I was on Facebook, I learned she was diagnosed with cancer. The streams of tear came down my face and my
fingers felt numb as I scrolled down my key board to read the rest of her
post. However, her resilience calmed me
with the following blog post she wrote.
She wrote, "I am new to the blogging world." Luna wrote on how she wore one of her most
beautiful outfits and went out to celebrate the great life she had always
enjoyed. Luna wrote, "I have always
done whatever I wanted. There is nothing
that I wanted to do and haven't done."
Her words made me smile again but knew she had a challenging road ahead
of her.
Then recently I noticed the cover page of
her Facebook that said, "You know my name but you don't know my
story." Reading this made me
realize I might have a lot more in-common with Luna than I ever thought. Although our interests and life style and
sense of fashion were opposite of each other but deep down we both had strong
desires about our passion. Hers was arts
and culture and mine was politics. I
realized how we both are a generation of what I call, "lost between the
two countries" The homeland and the motherland. We both managed to attract plenty of wrong
guys for simply being on air talents.
When you go on camera, people fall in love with that character and fall
for your fame and never really get to know the real you. She ran around Paris fashion runways,
interviewed movie directors and beautiful actresses. I was running around the White House chasing
big shots and spent endless hours on the Hill for a sound bite from a prominent
member of congress. It wasn't the fame, it
was the belief that I am making a difference for the people of Iran about
policy. Luna too had the sense that she
can bring a glimpse of hope to the young Iranian women on how they can choose
to talk and dress free. That story about us was never told.
Her cover page resonated with me that how
you might know my name but not my story.
Behind Luna's pretty face and fame she suffered a lot of work politics,
jealousy and ignorance by others who were clueless about art or people.
I am currently away from Luna as she is
going thru her treatment. I know she is
going to pull thru and be even stronger than before. I told her recently that I couldn't wait
until we had our own show as soon as she is ready to work. Luna might be diagnosed with a terrible
disease but most of us who immigrated and gone thru the Islamic revolution
followed by the Iran-Iraq war have the scars that are hidden. The years of separation from family, pains of
immigration and getting a status, being a woman and a foreigner trying to fit
in the society who will judge you no matter what you do is NEVER easy. Take away from my post, appreciate your
friends and family. Tell them how much you
love them before it is too late. I
dedicate this post to Luna Shad who is a pioneer for the Iranian broadcast
after the Islamic revolution of Iran.
May all the love from your friends, family and fans heal you. I love you Luna, get well...
Update:
This post was originally published in 2014 and unfortunately my page was deleted because of some cyber virus. Luna is doing well and continues her great work to bring love and friendship to the Iranians through her media work. I finally found this story and decided to publish and will do my best to post more on my blog after a lot of you contacted me. Thank you for your love.
