Before the Revolution

New York Premiere!

Director Dan Shadur and producer Barak Heymann in person for Q&A!

During the 1960s and ‘70s, thousands of Israelis living in Tehran enjoyed a special relationship with the Shah and his dictatorial rule. Protected by large arms deals and complex financial ties, the Israeli community enjoys a luxurious lifestyle, failing to note that the despised ruling power to which they were connected was collapsing. By the time they understand that their ‘Iranian Paradise’ is turning into hell, it is almost too late, and they stand to find themselves in the middle of the Islamist revolution. Using rare 8mm footage, interviews with diplomats, Mossad agents, businessmen and their families, the director—whose family had been part of the same community—reveals a unique perspective on the revolution that changed the world.

Screening with:

Pur | Anat Vovnoboy | Israel | 2013 | 13m
Rare archival footage of Purim plays staged by small groups of Jewish dissidents during the Soviet regime lends a sense of immediacy to this short documentary. U.S. Premiere!