Produced by young Iranian artist Ali Molavi, a moving new video documenting the wishes of everyday Iranians, has emerged online. The short film, called 'Wish: one question fifty answers', shows how 50 of the Persian state’s city slickers responded when asked what they would wish for by the end of the day.
Simply shot on the streets of the capital, it's a rare insight into the mindset of the Iranian people at a time when the state has become isolated from the rest of the world as a result of its controversial nuclear program. While the nation’s leaders alienate the region with their vitriolic statements on Syria and the West, the ordinary folk of Iran are apparently more concerned with the simple things in life.
The economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the West have strangled its economy and unemployment has risen steeply in recent years. Tellingly a number of Iranians in the video wish for prices to fall or for a job. Some even wish to “get out of here”.
Yet the grumbles are trumped by the moving messages of the interviewees that ring true for parents and children all over the world. Peace of mind seems to be top of most Tehranis’ wish list: a number of the older generation interviewees hoped for life to improve for their children.
But you can count on teenagers the world over to go for the selfish option and Tehran’s teens are apparently no different, with one young interviewee telling producers his only wish was for “a motorbike”.
Iranians are just months away from deciding on who will take over from the notorious Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as their new president. Although many of the old guard are standing as candidates, a few surprise liberal names are in the mix.
However, if the short video is anything to go by, those in the capital won’t be voting on the basis of grand ideologies. As one interviewee says, “All I always want is for my children to be healthy”.
Are you surprised that Iranians have the same wishes as elsewhere in the world? Or are people just the same the world over? Share your thoughts with us below.
