Extraordinary film explores the lives of Iranian refugees who cannot escape painful memories.
In 1992 a young Iranian student hanged himself from a tree on the outskirts of a small Ontario town. He had escaped the Ayatollah's regime but he could not escape his past.
News of the stranger's death hit home with filmmaker Masoud Raouf. He too is part of the generation of Iranians who rose up against the Shah's despotic rule only to be cruelly persecuted by an equally murderous new regime.
THE TREE THAT REMEMBERS is his compassionate reflection on the betrayal of the 1979 Iranian revolution and the tenacity of the human spirit.
Raouf assembles a group of Iranians, all former political prisoners like himself who were active in the democratic movement. Blending their testimony with historical footage and original artwork, Raouf honors the memory of the dead and celebrates the resilience of the living.
While anchored in a specific history, THE TREE THAT REMEMBERS reflects on the broad themes of oppression and survival, pouring light into a somber universe and finding unexpected fragments of hope.
Awards
~ Award of Commendation, Visual Anthropology Film/Video Festival, American Anthropological Association
~ Golden Sheaf Award, Best Social Documentary, Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival
~ Silver Award, Best Canadian Documentary, Hot Docs
~ Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
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