Reisverhalen - Reis naar het Paradijs

In April 2002, director Ben van Lieshout and cameraman Stef Tijdink traveled by train across Iran, from the caviar of the Caspian Sea to the oil of the Persian Gulf. It is the month of mourning; black flags fly above the streets, where people are dressed in black. They have sufficient reasons to mourn: unemployment rates in Iran are high and the economy is only deteriorating. Though the deceased leader Khomeini still seems to be sincerely worshipped, the popularity of the current leaders is on the wane. Even though youngsters are still drawn to the sacrifices of the revolution and the eight-year war with Iraq, which the regime indefatigably holds up as an example. In the mountain villages of Iran however, away from the big city, this ostentatious fanaticism dissolves and the filmmakers come upon a tranquil serenity.