Set on fire, thrown from cars: Iran’s women stunt performers break barriers

In Tehran, Nasrin Teymouri leads Iran's only all-female stunt crew, "Stunt Powerful," breaking gender norms in a traditionally male-dominated film industry.

While the skatepark training ground blends extreme sports with cultural landmarks, Teymouri, now a successful stuntwoman, reflects on past challenges where women were replaced by men in film stunts but notes changing perceptions in Iran.

Young women, inspired by Teymouri's courage, regularly practice daring feats, symbolizing a shift towards greater gender inclusivity in performing arts.

Despite societal restrictions, Teymouri finds fulfillment in confronting fears that have defined her resilient career.

TEHRAN, Oct 9 — As evening falls at a Tehran skatepark, a woman calmly steps forward with her body ablaze, performing a daring stunt that challenges convention in front of an impressed Iranian audience.

Behind her, young women practise backward flips into a pit filled with foam, following the instructions of Nasrin Teymouri.

In her thirties, she leads Iran’s sole all-female stunt crew, a vital area of filmmaking traditionally controlled by men, but where Iranian women are increasingly establishing themselves.

“Until just a few years ago, men used to dress up as women to perform stunts in place of actresses,” said Teymouri with a smile, as she received AFP at a training session for the “Stunt Powerful” team in southern Tehran.

On graffiti-decorated ramps, a young girl wearing roller skates practises a few moves, while a young man gets ready to perform a stunt on his BMX bicycle.

The setting is unusual for this relatively traditional neighbourhood of the Iranian capital. A huge Islamic republic flag flutters in the distance, while the golden dome of a nearby mosque can be seen from the skatepark.

The site, dedicated to extreme sports and named “Navid Park” after its founder, opened a year ago.

“Even prominent directors would bluntly tell us we couldn’t be stunt performers simply because we were women,” recalled Teymouri, who now appears in successful Iranian productions and trains male stunt performers, reflecting changing views in Iran.

“Eventually, they placed their trust in us” on film sets, she said.

“Because they saw our work, accepted it and liked it,” added Teymouri, who earns a living teaching gymnastics.

“In the past, our presence on set used to unsettle them”.

‘Afraid of everything’

Teymouri has inspired others, including Mahisa Babayi-Parsa, a nine-year-old who insisted she was not “afraid at all” when carrying out stunts.

“I’ve been set on fire twice. I’ve jumped from heights, tumbled down stairs, and even been ejected from a car,” she beamed.

The stunt crew, a tight-knit team of women and men, gathers for practice several times each month.

During rehearsals in which a woman is engulfed in flames, colleagues remain on standby with a fire extinguisher and a wet blanket, ready to intervene.

When a man prepares to be set alight for a bicycle stunt, women supervise the process, challenging established norms.

Mixed-gender participation remains banned in many sports in Iran, where men and women are not even permitted to visit the same gym.

“I’m someone who gets scared very easily: I’m afraid of heights and speed. I’m afraid of everything,” Teymouri said.

“But facing my fear gives me immense pleasure every time” and “that’s what drove me to survive in this profession,” she added, sporting sunglasses and a cap worn backwards. — AFP

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在德黑兰，纳斯林·泰穆里带领着伊朗唯一的全女性特技团队“Stunt Powerful”，打破了传统上由男性主导的电影行业的性别规范。

虽然滑板公园训练场将极限运动与文化地标融合在一起，但如今已成为一名成功的特技女演员的泰穆里回顾了过去女性在电影特技中被男性取代的挑战，但她也注意到伊朗的观念正在发生变化。

受泰穆里勇气的鼓舞，年轻女性经常进行大胆的表演，这象征着表演艺术领域正在向更大的性别包容性转变。

尽管受到社会限制，泰穆里依然在直面恐惧的过程中找到了满足感，而这种恐惧也成就了她坚韧不拔的职业生涯。

德黑兰，10 月 9 日——夜幕降临德黑兰的一个滑板公园，一名女子浑身着火，镇定自若地向前走去，在伊朗观众面前表演了一项挑战传统的惊险特技，令他们印象深刻。

在她身后，一群年轻女子正在练习向后翻入装满泡沫的坑中，她们按照纳斯林·泰穆里的指导进行练习。

她三十多岁，领导着伊朗唯一的全女性特技团队，这是电影制作中一个至关重要的领域，传统上由男性控制，但伊朗女性正在这个领域日益确立自己的地位。

“就在几年前，男人们还会装扮成女人来代替女演员表演特技，”泰穆里笑着对法新社记者说。当时她正在德黑兰南部参加“特技超人”团队的训练课。

在涂鸦装饰的坡道上，一个穿着轮滑鞋的年轻女孩正在练习几个动作，而一个年轻男子正准备在他的 BMX 自行车上表演特技。

对于伊朗首都这个相对传统的街区来说，这番景象显得格外不同寻常。远处飘扬着一面巨大的伊斯兰共和国国旗，从滑板公园还能看到附近清真寺的金色圆顶。

这个致力于极限运动的场地，以其创始人的名字命名为“纳维德公园”，于一年前开放。

“即使是知名导演也会直截了当地告诉我们，我们不能当特技演员，仅仅因为我们是女性，”泰穆里回忆道。如今，她出演了伊朗一些成功的影视作品，并培训男性特技演员，这反映了伊朗观念的转变。

“最终，他们在片场信任了我们，”她说。

“因为他们看到了我们的作品，接受了它，并且喜欢它，”以教体操为生的泰穆里补充道。

“过去，我们在片场的出现常常让他们感到不安。”

“害怕一切”

泰穆里激励了其他人，其中包括九岁的玛希萨·巴巴伊-帕尔萨，她坚称自己在表演特技时“一点也不害怕”。

“我曾两次被火烧伤，从高处跳下，从楼梯上摔下来，甚至还被甩出过车外，”她笑容满面地说。

特技表演队是一个关系紧密的男女团队，他们每月都会聚集在一起进行几次练习。

在排练中，当一名女子被火焰吞噬时，同事们会带着灭火器和湿毯子待命，随时准备进行干预。

当一名男子准备在自行车特技表演中被点燃时，女性会监督整个过程，挑战既定的规范。

在伊朗，许多体育运动仍然禁止男女混合参加，甚至不允许男女进入同一个健身房。

“我胆子特别小：我恐高，怕速度。我什么都怕，”泰穆里说。

“但每次直面恐惧都会给我带来巨大的快乐，”她补充道，“正是这种快乐驱使我在这个行业生存下去。”说着，她戴着墨镜，反戴着棒球帽。——法新社

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