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Jews of Iran (documentary film)
Encyclopedia
Jews of Iran is a 2005 documentary film
by Iranian-Dutch
filmmaker Ramin Farahani
. The film examines the lives of Persian Jews
living in Iran's
predominately Islamic society. Although they face discrimination
, they choose to remain in their homeland rather than flee the country.
The documentary breaks ground as the first film to cover this subject, capturing both friendships among Muslims and Jews
and the prejudices
against the Jewish minority
. Farahani states that Jews of Iran is meant to "help westerners correct their image" of the Middle East
and allow them to "see the nuances" within the culture.
, the film offers shots of century-old architecture and travels through Tehran
, Isfahan and Shiraz
. A broad range of Jewish Iranians are interviewed, from an old woman in a hospital to a bright computer science student.
Although Jews have lived in Iran for 2,700 years, the 1979 Iranian Revolution
pressured most Jews to leave the country. In modern Iran, rampant antisemitism continues to threaten the remaining citizens.
"They’re very open with their insults," says a young Jewish girl exposed to prejudice in Iran. Regarding her treatment by Iranians: "They say we're impure — we're filthy."
Deep-rooted antisemitism is revealed when a beautiful Muslim art student is asked if she has any Jewish friends: she couples her negative response with a coy giggle, claiming that it is "because of the atmosphere Israel has created" that she is not fond of the Jews. When confronted with the point that the Jews in Iran are not Israelis, she simplifies her argument, offering a big smile and saying, "I don't know...They don't mix with us either. Never."
Religious tolerance is also portrayed. In one scene, two mothers, one Jewish and the other Muslim, have been friends since college. Both have raised sons that are now equally as close. The woman laugh about religious prejudice, and the Muslim boy explains his friend's Kosher diet by saying, "It's his choice. He eats what he wants." When asked, the boys admit that they don't really talk about religion; they listen to the same music, attend the same parties, and lazily lounge around each other's homes.
The two cultures also overlap and feed off each other. In Isfahan, Jewish artist Soleiman Sassoon's work is strongly influenced by Iranian art
and Islamic architecture
. Pointing to his paintings, he explains how he naturally blends religious motifs
, such as the Ten Commandments
and David
's prayer, with a traditional Iranian art style.
Finally, Farahani travels to Shiraz, where thirteen Jews have been accused of espionage
. The evidence against them is circumstantial and built on extorted confessions, leading to the belief that the initial accusations were concocted. Nonetheless, they face death sentences
, receiving 2-9 year prison terms.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Iranian-Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
filmmaker Ramin Farahani
Ramin Farahani
Ramin Farahani is an Iranian-Dutch filmmaker.Born in 1969 in Tehran, Farahani started with photography short films in 1987, and studied film directing at the Cinema and Theater department of the Art University of Tehran between 1989 and 1993....
. The film examines the lives of Persian Jews
Persian Jews
Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...
living in Iran's
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
predominately Islamic society. Although they face discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, they choose to remain in their homeland rather than flee the country.
The documentary breaks ground as the first film to cover this subject, capturing both friendships among Muslims and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and the prejudices
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
against the Jewish minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
. Farahani states that Jews of Iran is meant to "help westerners correct their image" of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and allow them to "see the nuances" within the culture.
Synopsis
With the background of Middle Eastern musicMiddle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
, the film offers shots of century-old architecture and travels through Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Isfahan and Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
. A broad range of Jewish Iranians are interviewed, from an old woman in a hospital to a bright computer science student.
Although Jews have lived in Iran for 2,700 years, the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
pressured most Jews to leave the country. In modern Iran, rampant antisemitism continues to threaten the remaining citizens.
Deep-rooted antisemitism is revealed when a beautiful Muslim art student is asked if she has any Jewish friends: she couples her negative response with a coy giggle, claiming that it is "because of the atmosphere Israel has created" that she is not fond of the Jews. When confronted with the point that the Jews in Iran are not Israelis, she simplifies her argument, offering a big smile and saying, "I don't know...They don't mix with us either. Never."
Religious tolerance is also portrayed. In one scene, two mothers, one Jewish and the other Muslim, have been friends since college. Both have raised sons that are now equally as close. The woman laugh about religious prejudice, and the Muslim boy explains his friend's Kosher diet by saying, "It's his choice. He eats what he wants." When asked, the boys admit that they don't really talk about religion; they listen to the same music, attend the same parties, and lazily lounge around each other's homes.
The two cultures also overlap and feed off each other. In Isfahan, Jewish artist Soleiman Sassoon's work is strongly influenced by Iranian art
Iranian art
Persian arts, or Iranian arts is one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stonemasonry.-The Persian rug:...
and Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
. Pointing to his paintings, he explains how he naturally blends religious motifs
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
, such as the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
and David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
's prayer, with a traditional Iranian art style.
Finally, Farahani travels to Shiraz, where thirteen Jews have been accused of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. The evidence against them is circumstantial and built on extorted confessions, leading to the belief that the initial accusations were concocted. Nonetheless, they face death sentences
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
, receiving 2-9 year prison terms.
Reception
In an interview, Farahani said, "The reaction of Jews and Iranians outside was mainly emotional because they got more feeling with the things we show in the film...I heard of wet eyes, nostalgic feelings for missing roots etc." Harif of The Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa wrote that the film gives, "A rare glimpse into the lives of some of the 25,000 Jews still in Iran...and gives a remarkable insight into the official discrimination suffered by the Jews under the Islamic regime."Similar movies
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See also
- History of the Jews in IranHistory of the Jews in IranThe beginnings of Jewish history in Iran date back to late Biblical times. The biblical books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, contain references to the life and experiences of Jews in Persia...
- International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the HolocaustInternational Conference to Review the Global Vision of the HolocaustThe International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust was a two-day conference that opened on December 11, 2006, in Tehran, Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the conference sought "neither to deny nor prove the Holocaust.....
- International Holocaust Cartoon Competition
- Iran-Israel relationsIran-Israel relationsIran–Israel relations have shifted from close ties between Israel and Iran during the era of the Pahlavi dynasty to hostility since the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Iran has severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, and its government does not recognize...
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and IsraelMahmoud Ahmadinejad and IsraelMahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel refers to the relations between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the State of Israel, characterized by contentious speeches and statements, including what many commentators perceive to be calls to destroy the country....
- Persian JewsPersian JewsPersian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...
- Shiraz blood libelShiraz blood libelThe 1910 Shiraz blood libel was a pogrom of the Jewish quarter in Shiraz, Iran, on October 30, 1910, sparked by accusations that the Jews had ritually killed a Muslim girl. In the course of the pogrom, 12 Jews were killed and about 50 were injured, and 6,000 Jews of Shiraz were robbed of all their...