Our Rights, Our Freedom:
The Veiled Truth About the Portrayal of Women’s Rights and Feminism in Iran
An investigative audio documentary exploring women's rights in Iran through historical research, expert interviews and first-hand testimonies from women who lived through the Iranian Revolution
Listen: An original documentary combining historical research, narration, an exclusive interview with Dr Haleh Esfandiari and first-hand testimonies from anonymous Iranian women, offering both expert insight and lived experiences of the Iranian Revolution
The Story: Our Rights, Our Freedom: The Veiled Truth About the Portrayal of Women’s Rights and Feminism in Iran began with a question I kept coming back to: how much of Iran’s history, particularly the history of its women, is lost when it is reduced to the narratives we see from the outside?
Rather than relying solely on historical research, I wanted the documentary to be shaped by the voices of women who had experienced these events firsthand. Alongside an interview with internationally recognised Iranian scholar Dr Haleh Esfandiari, I spoke with Iranian women who had lived through the Revolution before leaving Iran as young girls in search of safety and a different future
Their stories brought a personal dimension to the history I was researching, connecting political change with the experiences of the women who actually lived through it. By bringing expert insight together with lived experience, the documentary became an exploration of identity, resilience and the lasting impact of political change on generations of Iranian women
Role: Producer · Researcher · Journalist · Scriptwriter · Narrator · Interviewer
Type: Investigative Audio Documentary
Duration: 17 minutes, 23 seconds
Year: 2019
Tools: Adobe Audition · SoundCloud
Skills: Research · Interviewing · Documentary Journalism · Scriptwriting · Audio Editing
VOICES BEHIND THE DOCUMENTARY
Dr. Haleh Esfandiari
Founding Director Emerita, Middle East Program, Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars
An internationally recognised scholar specialising in Iranian politics and women's rights, Dr Haleh Esfandiari provided historical and political context that helped frame the documentary within the wider history of the Iranian Revolution
Having also spent 105 days in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin Prison, her interview brought both academic expertise and lived experience to the documentary's exploration of identity, freedom and political change
Image courtesy of the Wilson Center
Anonymous Iranian Women
Alongside expert insight, I spoke with Iranian women who experienced the Revolution firsthand before fleeing Iran as teenagers in search of safety and a better future. To protect their identities, they chose to remain anonymous while sharing deeply personal memories
Their testimonies reflect the courage of leaving home at such a young age, witnessing the country they loved change from afar through television screens and newspaper headlines. Years later, many returned to an Iran that felt unfamiliar—forced to introduce themselves to a homeland that no longer resembled the one they had left behind. Their voices became the emotional heart of the documentary, bringing humanity, resilience and lived experience to a complex political history
Photo: Mohammad Sayyad
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTARY
Our Rights, Our Freedom: The Veiled Truth About the Portrayal of Women’s Rights and Feminism in Iran was independently conceived, researched, scripted, narrated, produced and edited from concept to completion
Every stage of the project was completed by me—from developing the initial idea and conducting historical research to sourcing interviewees, arranging and conducting interviews, writing the documentary script, recording the narration, editing the audio and producing the final documentary
Balancing academic research with personal testimony allowed me to create a documentary that was both informative and deeply human, demonstrating the importance of ethical journalism and giving space to voices that are often overlooked
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Historical research into Iranian feminism, media representation and the political history of modern Iran formed the foundation of the documentary, informing both the narrative structure and interview topics
Cover: Ettela'at
Original interviews with Dr. Haleh Esfandiari and anonymous Iranian women combined expert analysis with lived experience, creating a balanced narrative that connected historical events with personal stories
Photo: Mohammad Sayyad
The documentary was independently scripted, narrated and edited, weaving together interviews, archival research and original narration into a cohesive investigative audio documentary
Self-portrait: Yasmin Hekmat
“As an Iranian creative, I wanted this documentary to do more than revisit history. I wanted to create a space where Iranian women's voices could be heard, on their own terms. Through research, lived experience and conversation, the project became a way to reconnect with my heritage whilst challenging the narratives that have long defined Iran from the outside.If there is one thing I hope audiences take away, it is that behind every headline is a human story—and every woman deserves the freedom to tell her own”