Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Soraya

  • TV Movie
  • 2003
  • 3h 20m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
373
YOUR RATING
Soraya (2003)
BiographyDrama

Biopic of Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, the second wife of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Shahanshah Aryamehr, who was overthrown in the 1979's Islamic Revolution.Biopic of Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, the second wife of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Shahanshah Aryamehr, who was overthrown in the 1979's Islamic Revolution.Biopic of Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, the second wife of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Shahanshah Aryamehr, who was overthrown in the 1979's Islamic Revolution.

  • Director
    • Lodovico Gasparini
  • Writers
    • Umberto Marino
    • Anna Samueli
    • Jacqueline Feather
  • Stars
    • Anna Valle
    • Erol Sander
    • Mathilda May
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    373
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lodovico Gasparini
    • Writers
      • Umberto Marino
      • Anna Samueli
      • Jacqueline Feather
    • Stars
      • Anna Valle
      • Erol Sander
      • Mathilda May
    • 7User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 3
    View Poster

    Top cast35

    Edit
    Anna Valle
    Anna Valle
    • Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari
    Erol Sander
    Erol Sander
    • Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
    Mathilda May
    Mathilda May
    • Chams
    Stoyan Aleksiev
    • Représentant anglais
    Anton Alexander
    Anton Alexander
    • Kim Roosevelt
    Sergio Ammirata
    • Iranian ambassador
    Atanass Atanassov
    • Metteur
    Donka Avramova
    • Ami de Soraya
    Jonis Bashir
    • Militaire de l'ambassade
    • (as Jonis Bascir)
    Enzo Marino Bellanich
    • Gen. Zahedi
    Claude Brasseur
    Claude Brasseur
    • Mossadeq
    Renato Campese
    • Doctor
    Ian Danby
    • American ambassador
    Antonio Dechent
    Antonio Dechent
    • Kalil Esfandiari Bakhtiari
    Marius Donkin
    • Prime Minister Razmara
    Michail Elenov
    • Achmed
    Luigi Grilli
    • Ambassadeur Russe
    Niki Iliev
    Niki Iliev
    • Director
      • Lodovico Gasparini
    • Writers
      • Umberto Marino
      • Anna Samueli
      • Jacqueline Feather
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    6.3373
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    4fmpour

    Good try. But not completely accurate

    If I were to make a movie about a foreign land, culture, history, etc. I would do a bit of investigation first. The least I would do is to check my story with a native. Not one of the actors or actresses is from Iran or Iranian decent. And there are many of them available these days. The movie seems to be made out of the book by Soraya herself which does not necessarily match the historical events. For example, in Iran they did not have Emperors, they had Kings. King's palace called SADABAD is in north of Tehran and nowhere near the sea. This is a movie made for the taste of western audience and bent in a few places to make it more attractive to them. As a result, it has lost its exotic and factual touch.
    10lia00027

    What A History

    The story is not same with what I've read about Shah M. R. Pahlevi and Princess Soraya, but this movie is interesting and a good one for showing a dramatic love story with sad ending (even though I don't understand their language at all).

    This movie is great, just see the actor's facial expressions and body language I can understand what they're meant. Beside Anna Valle is beautiful (just look at her eyes and her hair) and acting very good in this TV show. So was Erol Sander, he is handsome and a good actor. The director is doing such a wonderful job directed this TV show. The dresses that Anna Valle used in this show are very good and very perfect for her (similar jewelry that she wore).

    In a real life Shah M.R. Pahlevi was not a handsome man he was in fact 10-year older than Soraya, but Princess Soraya was truly a beautiful lady.
    8tim-31315

    Pretty good mix of history and movie making

    It showed that the Shah tried to pull his country into the modern world ... why he had to become more autocratic when his enemies became stronger ... something we have seen play out again and again. The Iran of today is is a prison of its people ... not too many places left of this sort anymore either. A matter of time before that country will see another overthrow ... god bless! So yes - the movie shows a thin slice of Persia's long history and is reasonably well made.
    7heydari_ps

    More historical investigation was needed

    I am an Iranian. I was not born before the revolution but I guess I know about the history of my country enough. I want to start with the good points of the movie: 1. Decoration , dresses , make up was excellent. 2. Italians look like Iranians, this made things easy, especially the king character was so similar. Finding someone as beautiful as Soraya I guess is a hard task, in my eyes she was and still is the most beautiful woman God ever created. They could at least cut her hair like her or I guess even her mother was more similar to Soraya than her. 3. I appreciate the fact that they showed interference of English and US American governments in Iran and the way they exploited us and their influence in the palace.

    Now the negative points

    1. I wish the writer were more aware of the history, Mosadagh was not related to communist, he was one of the few great leaders we had. I wish they investigated more the history of Iran.

    2. I have no idea why they replaced "Ashraf" the sister of King with Shamira. Were they afraid of her? Were they threatened? So bizarre.

    3. If I were them I would asked a Mola how to tie a hat, what was that on top of their head?

    4. The Italians had no role in that time unless I am not aware unless they made up a story to make the movie interesting for Italians.

    5. Some scenes were so cheesy

    But in Gerneral, as an Iranian, I really appreciate the production of this movie. They really paid attention to some aspects.
    1faryar

    IRAN is pronounced E-Run Not EYE-RAN

    Please notify the clueless idiot to learn the name of the country IRAN is pronounced E-Run Not EYE-RAN !

    Makes the viewer lose respect for the film's authenticity!

    Please notify the clueless idiot to learn the name of the country IRAN is pronounced E-Run Not EYE-RAN !

    Makes the viewer lose respect for the film's authenticity!

    Please notify the clueless idiot to learn the name of the country IRAN is pronounced E-Run Not EYE-RAN !

    Makes the viewer lose respect for the film's authenticity!

    Please notify the clueless idiot to learn the name of the country IRAN is pronounced E-Run Not EYE-RAN !

    Makes the viewer lose respect for the film's authenticity!

    More like this

    Becoming Colette
    5.4
    Becoming Colette
    The Stoning of Soraya M.
    7.9
    The Stoning of Soraya M.
    Naked Tango
    5.7
    Naked Tango
    Isabelle Eberhardt
    5.1
    Isabelle Eberhardt
    Augustus: The First Emperor
    6.2
    Augustus: The First Emperor
    Callas e Onassis
    6.4
    Callas e Onassis
    The Three Faces
    6.0
    The Three Faces
    Only Love
    6.4
    Only Love
    The Tit and the Moon
    6.3
    The Tit and the Moon
    The Cry of the Owl
    6.3
    The Cry of the Owl
    Letters to an Unknown Lover
    7.2
    Letters to an Unknown Lover
    Dream one
    4.4
    Dream one

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      Architecture of mosques looks like Arabic, not Iranian.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 5, 2003 (Italy)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • Germany
    • Language
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Soraja - shaahin valittu
    • Filming locations
      • Casablanca, Morocco
    • Production companies
      • EOS Entertainment
      • Lux Vide
      • Pampa Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Soraya (2003)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Soraya (2003) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.