Iran

Iran's image in the West is due to several factors-including President George W. Bush's Axis of Evil" speech as well as the political agenda of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This program takes viewers behind the facade of the theocratic state, following a handful of everyday Iranian citizens and addressing questions ignored by most mainstream media: What is daily life like in the country? Is self-determination possible without coming into conflict with the religious law? How do the growing influences of the Internet, Western media, and globalization affect one's life goals? Viewers accompany two women, two men, and a young girl as they face these issues. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (91 minutes)"

It used to be considered one of America's top enemies. Now, surprisingly, it may represent the best hope for democratic government in the Gulf region. This ABC News program takes viewers on a rare trip inside Iran to study Iranian society in flux. Reformist parliamentary candidates, who seek election in the face of resistance by the religious establishment, and a younger generation in quiet rebellion despite the very real risk of imprisonment are viewed as bellwethers of a culture moving away from theocracy toward democracy. (23 minutes)

In Iran, even laughter is considered sinful by the nation's strict Shiite regime. Yet after revolution and war, Iranians cherish hopes of a freer future. This program describes the impact of life in a modern fundamentalist society on Iran's diverse population, which includes Muslims, Christians, and Jews. It also spotlights the joyful celebration of Sizdah Bedar, which welcomes the spring; the incomparable Iranian crown jewels; monuments such as the magnificent palace of Shah Abas the First, the huge Imam Mosque, the ruins of Persepolis, and the wind towers of Nain; and the lifestyles of artisans, craftspeople, laborers, and students. (49 minutes)

The generation of students who overthrew the Shah's regime in Iran some 25 years ago championed the synthesis of Islam with leftist ideologies. But today's generation has no direct recollection of that regime, and they regard it as one with greater personal liberties than they now enjoy. This program examines the present condition of those who grew up during Ayotollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution, with particular emphasis on how these young people yearn for secular freedoms-drinking, dancing, dating-considered to be against the Islamic way of life. An insightful look at the real lives of Iran's generation X. (54 minutes)

In the summer of 2001, 47 Iranian women neither affiliated with nor supported by any political party registered themselves as candidates for the presidential elections. Due to the Guardian Council's interpretation of a clause in the constitution, none of the women were allowed to run. This documentary presents the thoughts and opinions of six female candidates who agreed to be interviewed, along with the commentary of two female Iranian journalists who cover political developments for magazines in their country. They discuss their efforts in trying to change both governmental and popular opinion regarding the role of women in Iranian politics and society. Produced by Shahla Haeri, Director of Boston University's Women's Studies Program. (47 minutes)

It is the summer of 2006, and a bus filled with Iranian men and women sets out on a perilous journey to the holy sites of Najaf and Karbala in war-torn Iraq. Wide Angle accompanies them on their pilgrimage-revealing many of the attitudes, beliefs, and emotions that add to the complexity of modern Islam. As the bus rolls through breathtaking desert landscapes, the five-day odyssey takes on spiritual as well as historical dimensions. Each traveler recalls past anxieties and dangers-having lived through Iran's 1979 revolution and its war with Iraq-and each marvels at the chance to experience the longed-for Karbala pilgrimage, impossible during Saddam Hussein's rule. In addition to this moving and sometimes disturbing story, anchor Daljit Dhaliwal talks with Dr. Vali Nasr, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future. (87 minutes)