Iran Is My Home (2003)

Filmmaker David Diaan, an expatriate residing in Los Angeles , left his native Iran 24 years ago, unable to return due to the sudden and fierce changes that rocked Iran in 1979. However, motivated by a deep longing to visit his motherland and the recent easing up of tensions, he finally deemed it safe enough to pay a visit. Ready for a culture shock, yet haunted by fading memories of his childhood, Diaan filmed his journey with an adoring eye, eager to capture every moment. He cautiously traversed the streets without a crew or equipment, armed only with a hand-held camera small enough to hide from the authorities, hoping that somehow he would be able to smuggle his tapes out of the country without them being confiscated. Through candid and unrehearsed interviews on the streets, Diaan delves into the hearts and minds of a humble people surrounded on the one hand by the remnants of mythical Persia, and the encroaching realities of a modern world on the other. What strikes him most, however, is the beauty and promise of a bright new generation of Iranian youth that is sure to demand the freedom and the happinesss that the citizens of every land deserve.