Be My Voice

"Because when I shout, I know my voice will be carried everywhere by you. But if you go to prison, and I lose my voice, you will have betrayed me."

Journalist and activist Masih Alinejad is the voice of millions of Iranian women who are rebelling against the official state policy of compulsory hijab. Leading one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Iran today from exile in the U.S., Masih uses her wide platform to prevent protest from being stifled in her home country.

Born and raised in Ghomi Kola, a small village in northern Iran, Masih Alinejad has always defied societal norms. She was the first woman in her village to be expelled, get divorced, go to prison, and have a child outside of marriage. As a former parliament reporter, she would present questions to MPs that no one else dared to ask. Finding herself stonewalled, she went to Oxford to continue her work unimpeded. She now lives in the United States and has not been back to her homeland in 10 years.

In 2014, Alinejad launched the My Stealthy Freedom campaign, wherein countless Iranian women send in videos showing how they are defying Iran's compulsory hijab laws, which are punishable with prison time. Alinejad explains that taking control of one's bodily autonomy opens the door towards re-thinking personal freedoms, as an initial action towards the dismantling of the Islamic Republic. She also hosts Tablet, a weekly television show that reaches millions in Iran, presenting stories that counter official state narratives.

But there are those who seek to silence Masih Alinejad. Death threats and vows of violence accompany videos of mockery, sent to her daily in an attempt to suppress and belittle her movement. Her brother Ali — her biggest ally amongst her family in Iran — is imprisoned, and soon the rest of her family turns against her as the state targets them for further harassment. Internally conflicted, Alinejad considers returning to Iran and facing whatever may come. But as told by various allies, they plead with her to remain safer outside of Iran, because she serves a greater purpose by amplifying the voices of those resisting the oppression of the current regime.

Be My Voice examines the personal toll of journalistic integrity and activism, while also showing what is possible for one person to achieve.

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "The reason I decided to make the movie, Be My Voice, was when I watched on social media, how people desperately sent out their videos to Masih, for her to be their voice. I could not ignore it anymore. The fact that I could also be their voice in making this film, was the reason to make this film. The protests against increased petrol prices were in November 2019. In just three days, the regime killed 1500 people. 7000 were arrested. Many of them are sentenced to execution. The regime turned off the Interent throughout Iran so that the outside world would not see genocide. But people in Iran always found a way to send videos to Masih.

She is very similar to me. She is an activist. I'm an activist. But she has a hundred times more energy than I have...I was fascinated by her - she can be in 10 places at the same time.

I am making this film for my family, for my people, for me."

—Nahid Persson

Preview link available upon request. Contact [email protected] for more information

Be My Voice | Video Project Documentary Film

A Film by Nahid Persson

83 minutes

Scene Selection • Subtitled in English

Grades 11 - Adult

Item #: BMO-2021

Journalist and activist Masih Alinejad is the voice of millions of Iranian women rebelling against the forced hijab on social media

Starting at $89

Licensing Options

K-12 Classrooms, Public Libraries: DVD - $89 K-12 Classrooms, Public Libraries: DVD + Digital File - $139 Colleges, Businesses, Institutions: DVD - $395 Colleges: DVD with Digital Site License - $495 Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected]

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Reviews and Festivals

"Recommended. Well-paced documentary"

— Educational Media Reviews Online

"The courageous Alinejad is a tireless ball of energy, a fast-talking free spirit who is unwavering in her social media assault on Iran's punitive hijab laws. Make no mistake, it is extremely dangerous for women in Iran to defy these law, as this film makes clear; they risk beatings, prison, and even death. Inspiring, infuriating, and timely, Nahid Persson's documentary gives voice to fearless women in Iran seeking courage."

— Library Journal

"This documentary is an important recognition to those who, from exile, do not give up acting in favor of human rights, but above all, of the courage for those who, from inside Iran, like Yasaman Aryani and the other comrades in struggle, put at risk their future to reaffirm a fundamental principle: laws that oblige you to wear or prohibit wearing of clothing are contrary to rights."

— Riccardo Noury, Amnesty International Italia

"An amazing documentary"

— Vahid Yuecesoy, PhD candidate in Political Science, Université de Montréal

"A profoundly political cinema through the unfiltered narration of a story of resistance and disobedience. The way in which the director tells the story of Masih Alinejad: a straightforward narrative and far from rhetoric."

— Opentapes

"An interesting confluence of media and message and of subject and method"

— In the Seats

"The weight and responsibility that the activist feels on herself, for being the one who is causing discomfort to her family in Iran, is very beautifully illustrated in the documentary film... This documentary is not to be missed, especially if you are interested in understanding what happens outside our little world."

— Francesco Castracane, Mentinfuga

"One voice scares the Iranian regime: that of Masih. Nahid Persson has decided to tell it... Masih's story is that of any woman who has tried to change the status quo throughout history. But it's a story where it's time to change the ending. 'If we all planted a seed, the world would be full of flowers'. Masih understood this, and she wants us to understand it too."

— The Hot Corn

"To be the voice of those who have had to give up their own voice. To be the point of connection between those who cannot speak and those who are free to listen. This is the narrative urgency of Be My Voice."

— CameraLook

"Be My Voice is the fruit of [Masih Alinejad and Nahid Persson] meeting, of the communion of origins, experiences, struggle and hope for the future. It is the portrait of a woman of inexhaustible strength, full of anger and trust, love and determination, capable of letting herself go to the most candid enthusiasm for every little conquest, for every person who is added to the protest, as well as to the most total desperation for every violence or injustice suffered by one of his compatriots."

— Sentieri Selvaggi

"Solid portrait of a woman who is standing up for what she believes... Where other films try to keep things off screen or put on a brave face, director Nahid Persson shows us her subject when [it hits] the fan, which makes us understand and appreciate her fight more."

— UnseenFilms

WINNER

Pordenone Docs Fest, Audience Award

All About Freedom Festival, Audience Award

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