Jews of Iran (2005)

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.

Synopsis

With the background of Middle Eastern music, 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.