6 years ago

Our Man In Tehran

Anything goes in Tehran

After the mayor success of the 5 episode Dutch version of our Onze man in Teheran’ which broadcasted in May this year on the Dutch NPO, FRONTLINE picked up the series as well, and brought it back to 2 episodes which aired this week.

Whether protests about headscarves, visits to America, or dreams of martyrdom, Erdbrink gets Iranians to reveal the intricacies of their private worlds.

Frontline’s determinedly upbeat documentary provides a look at Iranian society – The Wall Street Journal – Dorothy Rabinowitz

Our Man in Tehran | Trailer 

A fascinating and revealing view of life inside Iran, with Dutch NYTimes correspondent Thomas Erdbrink.

On Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14, FRONTLINE presented Our Man in Tehran – a revealing series on life inside Iran, with Thomas Erdbrink.

In this two-night documentary special, Erdbrink shares a rare journey into a private Iran often at odds with its conservative clerics and leaders. The series offers surprising encounters inside the closed society of Iran, as Erdbrink gets Iranians to reveal the intricacies of their private worlds and the challenges of living under theocratic leaders.

Watch the two-part series “Our Man in Tehran”

Traveling Iran by train | DW Documentary

Iran is opening its doors to foreigners and a train ride from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea is a great way to get to know the country and its people.

The travel restrictions that are now being lifted were in place for decades. Many Iranians are hoping they will now be able to lead a freer life – and we meet many of these hospitable and welcoming people on our journey through the Middle Eastern nation. The country’s most important rail link, the Trans-Iranian Railway, runs for approximately 1400 kilometers from the Persian Gulf via Teheran to the Caspian Sea.

The journey starts in Khorramshahr on the Shatt al-Arab, the river border between Iraq and Iran. Traveling past oil fields, the train reaches Shushtar. One of the top sights here is the historic hydraulic system, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After that, the train heads up into the Zagros Mountains. The journey is interrupted by a break for prayer.

Breath-taking landscapes move past the train window until we reach the highest point not only of our journey but of the entire rail network: 2,200 meters above sea level between Dorud and Arak. During a brief stop in Qom, travelers can refuel with sohan, a pastry made of wheat germ, flour and sugar. The next section of the track is high-speed and we continue on to Teheran at 160 km/h. The metropolitan area is home to more than 15 million people.

The last leg takes us to the north of the country. In the Alborz Mountains, we find out what role the Trans-Iranian Railway played during Stalin’s major offensive against the German army in World War II. Our oriental rail adventure ends in Bandar-e Torkaman on the Caspian Sea.

Charlottesville is nothing new. Hate happens every day – FRONTLINE PBS | Official 

Another brilliant piece of eye opening of journalism is the FRONTLINE and ProPublica do ‘Documenting Hate’ doc. Read more below. 

FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate the resurgence of white supremacists in America.

For the past year, FRONTLINE and ProPublica have been investigating how the violent and infamous rally in Charlottesville last year became a watershed moment for the white supremacist movement.

Correspondent A.C. Thompson shows how some of those behind the racist violence went unpunished and shines a light on the rise of new white supremacist groups in America.

This film is part of an ongoing collaboration between ProPublica and FRONTLINE. If you’ve witnessed or experienced hate crimes, harassment or incidents of bias, send information to FRONTLINE, ProPublica and other partners in the Documenting Hate project by using this form.