Paper short abstract:

I'm intended to present a brief history of the first audio-visual fieldwork in Iran; based on the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Nader Afshar-Naderi. He was a pioneer in the history of anthropology in Iran, due to his trailblazing methodology and benefiting from audio-visual mediums.

Paper long abstract:

Afshar Naderi was an Anthropology professor at the University of Tehran, focusing on nomads and development. Before Afshar Naderi, the fieldwork involved participation and company with the aim of, in Malinowski's words (1992), "learning about the locals' perspective and their relationship with life and understanding their vision to their world" (p. 19). What is referred to in anthropology as the goal of the fieldwork is more or less neglected by the anthropologists. The highlight of his work was making the first Iranian Ethnographic film in Iran (Balut, 1966) based on a research project. Balut narrates the daily life of a tribe with an emphasis on the division of labor during the three seasons of autumn, winter, and spring. And a narration of the life of Bahmaei's tribe and the importance of Zagros oak trees in their lives based. Moreover, his approach and legacy in Visual Anthropology at that time were unique and progressive. He tried to provide all the facilities for anthropology students to use audio-visual material in their fieldwork and start teaching them how to enrich their fieldwork with film and images. At that time, it was a distinctive approach, especially before the digitalization era and in a time when they used 16mm cameras. With the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1978, like many others, he was expelled from the university on charges of affiliation with the former regime. And some months later, his heart could no longer bear the pressure of this event.