The Tree That Remembers

Masoud Raouf,
2002,
50 min 19 s

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Synopsis
Point Of View
Education

In 1992 a young Iranian student hanged himself on the outskirts of a small Ontario town. Having escaped the Ayatollah's regime and found a new home in Canada, he could not escape his past. In this film, Masoud Raouf documents the experiences of Iranian-Canadians - former political prisoners like himself - who were active in the Iranian democratic movement and continue to struggle with the past.

For more background information about this film, please visit the NFB.ca blog.

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Beyond the headlines of political unrest in Iran, this film focuses on several people who were imprisoned and tortured by the government there simply for their beliefs. Director Masoud Raouf points a very intimate portrait of these people who, having escaped to Canada, now have to deal with apathy from their adopted country. Some of the stories are heart wrenching, but throughout we see just how strong the human spirit really is.

— Albert Ohayon

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