Support cooperation and peace with Iran by supporting an April 2022 U.S. tour by Iranian cinema leaders!
In celebration of the hopefully any day now-to-be-re-sealed Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), CODEPINK is delighted to announce an April 2022 U.S. tour – Washington DC, New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco – by Iranian superstar actor Parviz Parastui and Iranian documentary filmmaker Zainab Ahmadzadeh. They will discuss their films, Iranian culture, and life in Iran, including first-hand experiences of life in Iran under crippling sanctions.
The people of Iran have been suffered terribly under the U.S. sanctions imposed on their country since Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the JCPOA (or Iran Nuclear Deal) in 2018. Cultural events, such as film, provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about and build bridges with the people we often only know about from media and government descriptions of why we should be at war – combat or economic – with their country. To this end, in 2018 and 2019, CODEPINK brought delegations to Iran to engage in citizen-to-citizen diplomacy and learn about the country and its culture. This Spring, we are happy to bring leaders of Iranian cinema to the U.S.
Parviz Parastouie holds the record for receiving the most awards in Iranian cinema, having appeared in more than 50 films and television series. He won Best Actor for his role in the films The Willow Tree, In the Name of the Father, Leily is With Me, and The Bodyguard. Some of his films with English subtitles are available to watch such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Cafe Transit, The House of Paper, and We Have a Guest. Parastouie has also been featured in some of Iran’s most popular television series, including Zire Tigh, Ashpaz Bashi, and Khak-e Sorkh.
Parastouei will be accompanied by Zainab Ahmadzadeh, a young female documentary filmmaker and author who was part of the team in making One Thousand and One Day, the film that will be shown in our public gatherings at the time of their visits. The film depicts the story of three individuals from the countries of Iran, Japan, and Austria who do not have anything in common but their love for peace and justice for all. They cross paths and find opportunities to get to know and learn from each other.
Visas — an arduous process — have already been obtained for Parastui and Ahmadzadeh and now we need to raise $10,000 to cover travel, lodging, and other expenses. We hope you will contribute to this visit as part of your desire to see peace between the U.S. and Iran.