Directed by Mahvash Sheikholeslami
Director Mahvash Sheikholeslami’s documentary WHERE DO I BELONG? plunges into an unusual and seldom-discussed phenomenon transpiring in the Middle East, whereby Afghans — fleeing poverty, war and destitution — illegally resettle in Iran and enter nuptial relationships with Persian women. This occurs even despite inter-marital cultural conflicts and a broader Iranian sociocultural framework not gamely poised to accept interracial romance or marriage.
With WHERE DO I BELONG? Sheikholeslami profiles several men and women in this position and has them speak candidly on such issues as love, acceptance, personal identity and cultural identity, while ensconcing the individual biographical portraits in the broader framework of a geographic travelogue of Iran.
In Farsi; English subtitles. 68 minutes.
Considering that the title of this series is, “A Unique Journey Into The Heart and Soul of Iranian Culture,” I would say that this episode was a waste of time and resources that did nothing to illuminate the declared subject matter. Though my heart goes out to these poor people, the inter-national marriage or a few hundred or even a few thousand Afghanis is hardly related or relevant to the “Heart and Soul of Iranian Culture.”
that the minute the peploe feel tangible elements of support from the outside for the deomocratic movement, the peploe will be heartened and things will start to change.He said that it’s imperative that the west support the striking workers.And he spoke about the use of sanctions. That if they are used as part of an overall plan to weaken and get rid of the regime, the peploe will accept them. But they will not accept sanctions that make the peploe suffer and leave the regime intact.I really think it’s the best I’ve heard him.
Good job. For comments of real people participants that indicated they face racism in Iran, they are right. As an Iranian I have to say I am ashamed of it. For thousands of Iranians that travel or reside outside of Iran and criticize the racism they face, having this double standard is unacceptable.
As for one of the commentators that said how this is related to Iran, the answer is more than you know. I guess you have not been to Iran lately. In every street there are tens of Afghanis that they do hard labor. They are very nice, hard working and humble people and they are not sell-outs unlike some of us Iranians that complain all the time regardless of sunny days or rainy days. Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?
Wow, the level of stupidity in this site is strageging. For those who can’t tell the difference between Oil and Nuclear Bomb: Nuclear Bombs kill millions, Oil doesn’t do that. Nuclear Bomb will undeniably destabilize the region, but Oil does not jump start an arm race. Plus, under Mossadegh, it was the height of the Cold War and the logic was a lot different. Can’t you seriously tell the difference?!With regards to double standard comment: Iran is the biggest supporter of Terrorism around the globe. It is also the center stage for future conflict in the region. Therefore it would take priority over any other country in the region. At the same time, keep in mind: even though Human Rights are a concern for the News Media, but the focus is on the possibility of hope and of course prevention of armed conflict. It is News, they will cover events that are most important to the people and of course to world politics. They are in a business of News and it is a profit driven business. I have never heard a news group claiming to have promotion of Human Rights as their agenda. They will cover what news readers are more interested about and of course they will give priority based on those preferences… Supply and Demand….DUHHHHHH!!!Seriously man, what’s w/ these stupid comments? Although I do agree with the first comment, it is unlikely that Iranian illegitimate regime would invest energy into investigating and coercing outside activist in order to restore order inside Iran. They have certainly done this before, but it was during the era where Iran was fairly stable. At this point, their main concern is to focus and invest resources on forces within Iran. At least it is a logical thing to do in my opinion.
FYI: By the way the song “Sarzamine man” (My homeland) is song by Dawood Sarkhosh not Farhad Darya. Farhad Darya has a song that is called “Sarzamine man” as well but it is different from the one in this presentation. Details should never be overlooked especially for such a beautiful and profound song.