August 1, 2012

MPAC in partnership with the Levantine Cultural Center and IMAN Cultural Center hosted more than 80 people for a screening on July 25 of the powerful new documentary “The Green Wave” about the massive popular protests leading up the 2009 Iranian presidential elections.

Ali Samadi Ahadi’s documentary is a contemporary chronicle of the Green Revolution and a memorial for all of those who believed in more freedom and lost their lives for their cause.

The documentary is a touching collage illustrating the feelings of the Iranian people behind this revolution. Facebook reports, Twitter messages and videos posted on the Internet are included in the film, as well as hundreds of real blog entries which served as reference for the experiences and thoughts of two young students. The film describes their initial hope and curiosity, their desperate fear and their courage to yet continue to fight.

Click here to watch the trailer.

The screening was followed by a Q&A led by scholar and author Reza Aslan, and Egyptian Welsh screenwriter and film director Sally El Hosaini. Aslan offered keen insight into the events that led to the revolution, the key players on the ground in Iran and what the future holds for the country in light of the current geo-political realities. Both Aslan and El Hosaini agreed that the Green Revolution is what led to the subsequent movements in the region such as the Arab Spring. 

While it took place in Ramadan, Iranian expatriates as well as people of other backgrounds arrived to the screening with enthusiasm. The crowd was visibly moved by the film, with many expressing that this film is a chance for the people of Iran to finally be heard.

"The Green Wave" opens in theatres:

Aug. 10 - In Los Angeles at Laemmle Music Hall and Laemmle Town Center 5

Aug. 17 - In New York at IFC Center

For trailer/more info: www.thegreenwave-movie.com