Abbas Amanat

He hasn't been to the school or he was not fully exposed to it.

And bazaars usually are very conservative places.

So it stuck in my mind.

Now, recently in 2004, I was traveling to the same area, not to the same city, but to the same area.

And I was amazed to see how the youth, as soon as they would know that you were coming from somewhere else,

opening conversation with you, talking about the latest movies that was produced in the West.

And it's not only Hollywood.

Of course, there's a huge amount of fascination with Hollywood and Western cinema.

Cinema is a major thing.

Filmmaking is a major thing.

So these kids in the city of Ahar were asking me, we were having lunch.

They're asking me, okay, then what do you think about this producer, not producer, this director or that actor?

American, European as well, but mostly American.

There's a complete Persian that I would converse with them.

Yes.

Actually, you would be surprised to see what percentage of the Iranian youth, at least in big cities, are fascinated with learning language.

And for a reason, because they think that's the way to get access either on social media or eventually leave Iran, unfortunately.

And because they don't see a future for themselves in the country, either you have to be part of this regime

Or if you hate them and you don't like the way of their life, you look up outside.

I was having drivers to drive me around the country in the cities around Tehran.