A deeply moving, tragic, upsetting, and yet somehow still hopeful documentary on Iran's brief 'Green Revolution' which for a moment seemed to promise to bring real change, only to be crushed by a shockingly ruthless and violent response from the government.
By combining animation (recalling 'Waltz With Bashir') accompanying dramatic readings of blogs by those who lived though those days, combined with video footage of events grabbed on cell phones, twitter messages and more traditional talking head interviews, this documentary feels original and fast moving, combining the storytelling power of fiction, with the urgency and social import of truth.
While we all read the headlines here in America, somehow I didn't really understand how powerful the movement for change really was in those brief days of 2009, nor just how bloody and brutal the repression that followed. As one interviewee points out, the West has largely forgotten about these human rights atrocities in dealing with Iran, focusing instead almost exclusively on the nuclear issue. An excellent film, and important historic document.
By combining animation (recalling 'Waltz With Bashir') accompanying dramatic readings of blogs by those who lived though those days, combined with video footage of events grabbed on cell phones, twitter messages and more traditional talking head interviews, this documentary feels original and fast moving, combining the storytelling power of fiction, with the urgency and social import of truth.
While we all read the headlines here in America, somehow I didn't really understand how powerful the movement for change really was in those brief days of 2009, nor just how bloody and brutal the repression that followed. As one interviewee points out, the West has largely forgotten about these human rights atrocities in dealing with Iran, focusing instead almost exclusively on the nuclear issue. An excellent film, and important historic document.