Frontline’s Iran Screening Season: Generation Tehran and Tehran’s Backyard

Tehran’s Backyard

Set against the backdrop of celebrations marking the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Tehran’s Backyard looks beyond the stereotypes to the life and struggles faced by Pari, a strong, devout and enigmatic 65-year-old woman who works as a cleaning lady to support her large family.

Despite her advanced years, she is the family’s main bread-winner. The film follows Pari as she moves between two worlds: the rich uptown flats of the north of the city and her family home on the outskirts.

Generation Tehran

Women in burkhas and bearded men in turbans – is this the image of modern Iran? What about the young men and women dressed in the latest fashions carrying the latest gadgets? What about the Iranian rap scene?

Generation Tehran is a documentary that shows another side of Iran. As one of the youngest populations in the world (70 percent are under 30), Iran’s youth are building a new country.

Born and raised in the US, Iranian-American director/producer Sara Bavar creates a platform to give Iran’s youth a voice.

Using interviews and footage filmed on location in Tehran in the autumn and winter of 2006, this film challenges the stereotypes that underpin the west’s view of Iran.