The people of Iran need our support and attention. My parents are proud immigrants who came to America because they instinctively loved this country and all that it stands for but their ties to their homeland remained strong and they made sure to expose me and my siblings to its richness and beauty as much as possible- I loved my summers there growing up and loved listening to my dad sing Persian songs when he was happy. Photos in the reel are of my mom from her teens and 20s to show what the country once was and what the people hunger for again. As a first generation American I experienced the richness of the Persian culture, the power of the poetry and music, and the laser focus on education. Iranian people (both women and men) are a proud and independent set who simply want to live their lives in peace, to be able to express themselves as they wish and to continue to contribute to the arts and sciences as they have for centuries. They are being beaten down and killed before our eyes and we must do everything we can to help them. They are at a crossroads and have an opportunity to help them gain their freedom. I hope the world does not let this moment pass without decisive action or let those brave women’s lives be lost in vain. #hadise #mahsaamini #iran #freedom