Houshang Baharloo (born 1936) is an Iranian cinematographer and filmmaker. He is known for filming movies The Chess Game of the Wind (1976), Dead End (1977) and The Carriage Driver (1971).

Baharlou graduated from the Rome Cinema Experience Center in Italy.

He began his career by working for the film magazine Setareh Cinema, self-studying in photography, and taking a short photography course under Hadi Shafaieh, then working on technical matters and dubbing Italian films into Persian.

Most of his activities in the field of cinematography in Iranian cinema date back to the years before the revolution.

In 1978, he began filming the series Hezar Dastan, but he gave up at the beginning of the project after filming the scenes related to Pirnia's house. He later emigrated to France.

****

Whether in color or black and white films, the distinction of his work is clearly evident and indicates his mastery and dominance over this profession (cinematography).

In general, that generation of Iranian cinematographers, such as the late Nemat Haghighi, Mehrdad Fakhimi, Nosratollah Kani, Maziar Parto and ..., brought a new wave and a different perspective in the field of cinematography (which is almost simultaneous with the new wave of Iranian cinema) to our cinema.

And that was in those days when there were analog cameras, Ariflex, negatives, color developing & printing, laboratories, etc., along with problems such as the lack of raw materials and technical facilities of studios, to the lack of suitable lenses, traveling and cranes, etc. In such conditions and times, masterpieces were created, each of which can be a lesson for today's enthusiasts and cinematographers. Works such as Broken Hearts (Souteh Delan), The Cycle (Dayereh Mina), The Postman (Postchi), The Falconet (Zanburak), and ...

One of the main differences between Houshang Baharlou and his other colleagues is his choice and selection in accepting projects. His artistic career (until 1978) rightly shows the superiority of quality over quantity.

Collaboration with prominent figures of Iranian cinema, from Mehrjui to Shahid Saless and from Hatami to Kimiai, is part of his rich career. His precision and skill in lighting, shading, and his mastery of the subject of color and color combinations and creating light shadows is amazing.

Among Houshang Baharlou's works, which are truly all among the best examples of cinematography in the history of Iranian cinema, "The Chess Game of the Wind" (1976) certainly has a distinctive place.

Creating long and drawn shadows, filming with natural lighting (without the use of a projector) and minimal light on the scene, as well as the form and type of frames that resemble paintings, and creating a sense of suspense and horror in the language of the image and with color, light, and shadow of such quality is something that only talented and experienced cinematographer can do.

Just as the script, acting, and directing must be such that the audience believes it, the cinematographer, as the main narrator of the script in the language of images, is no less responsible for it.

The world, which was opened to film enthusiasts lately by seeing "The Chess Game of the Wind" again, would certainly have broader and more interesting dimensions if missing works such as "THe Devine One" (Malakout) and "Speeding Naked Til High Noon" (Berehne ta zohr ba sorat) ... were also available.

Houshang Baharlou, who has been in exile for many years, is now in his eighties. I wish we realised more and better the value of these human treasures. We also know that he does not give interviews. Many have been trying to arrange a conversation with him over the years, but Mr. Baharlou refused.

In any case, the days of the cinematographers like Baharlou, Fakhimi, and Haghighi are long gone. They were individuals who were authors in their own work and whose personal signatures are clear in their works, and who also gave meaning to the "cinematographer-author" concept.

Recently, when I saw the restored version of a number of his works, I thought of writing these lines.
(Hamid Reza Heydari Sefat)