For filmmaker Marjan Tehrani and her brother Alex, growing up Iranian American meant that political tensions often impacted their personal lives. Iran and the U.S. broke off their political relationship more than 25 years ago, but still engage in a public war of words and threats. With travel to Iran nearly impossible for many years, Alex and Marjan were stuck interpreting the mostly negative images of Iran in the American media, a conflict that shaped their identities.
When the Tehranis are finally granted their Iranian passports, Alex, a photographer, and his American bride, Heather, an art gallery administrator, decide to make a trip from New York City to Iran to have a Persian wedding — just as Alex’s own Iranian father and American mother did in 1968, when Iran and the U.S. were still allies. But traveling to Iran is complicated. As the couple prepares to leave, they must face the mixed reactions of their parents and friends, reports of war in the Middle East, bureaucratic headaches, and their own nerves. In Arusi Persian Wedding, Marjan accompanies Alex and Heather and documents their journey on film.
Heather has to overcome the objections of her father, whose feelings are colored not only by religious beliefs, but also by political views. A meeting of the two families becomes tense when Alex’s Iranian stepmother asks about American Iranian relations and Heather’s father voices his support of President Bush’s Middle East policies. Arusi Persian Wedding intersperses scenes of Alex and Heather’s travel preparations with documentary footage of historical events in Iran during the latter half of the 20th century, from the expulsion of the British by Prime Minister Mossadegh in 1951 through Ayattolah Khomeini’s rise to power in 1979. This dramatic archival footage reveals how acutely history can affect not only political relationships, but personal relationships as well.
In Tehran, Alex and Heather receive a warm and enthusiastic reception from Alex’s extended family. As the wedding day approaches, the women of the family take charge of preparing Heather for the event, a far more elaborate affair than she expected. The couple also sets out to explore more of the country en route to the wedding site, traveling through lush and desert landscapes, exploring a traditional village and an historic city, and connecting with people of all ages and viewpoints. As they explore Iran on their own terms, their experiences illuminate the humor, passion, and diversity of a rich culture in transition.
The Filmmaker
Marjan Tehrani
Marjan Tehrani is an independent director and producer from Berkeley, California. She founded the production company Tru Films and has directed and produced Her Israel, which premiered on the Sundance Channel in 2004. She is also producing P Star Rising, a feature documentary that follows a 13-year-old female rap star as she fulfills her father’s deferred dreams of making it in the music business.
Beyond her independent work, Tehrani has produced several original series for television, including dLIFE TV on CNBC and the Emmy-nominated After School on PBS, which featured celebrity alumni such as Harvey Keitel and Tim Robbins returning to their urban high schools as role models. Through Tru Films, Tehrani is dedicated to promoting dialogue between cultures, sharing the intricate and subtle aspects of identity and capturing the transformative moments of the human experience with both humor and integrity.
"In Sokouto Mishkanam (I Will Break This Silence)"
Performed by Giti
"Emshab Dar Sar Shouri Daaram (I Am Excited Tonight)"
Performed by Parvin
"Shaneh (The Comb)"
"Daryacheh Noor (The Lake of Light)"
Performed by Aref
"Ahooyeh Vahshi (Wild Deer)"
Performed & Written by Faramaz Aslani
Under License From Faramaz Aslani
"Mitooni Moshteh Mano Baz Bekoni (You Can Reveal My Secret)"
Performed by Ramesh
"Gol-e Yakh (Ice Flower)"
Performed by Koroush Yaghmaie
Archive Footage Courtesy of
AP Archives Australian Women’s Weekly
Azadi TV
BBC Motion Gallery
Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
Fondation Mossadegh
ITN Source
Journeyman Pictures
Ali Khaligh
Le Soir Illustré
Library of Congress
National Archives & Records Administration
NBC News Archives
Pars Video
SPPN Images
Stock Video
Streamline Films, Inc.
Thought Equity Motion
UCLA Film & TV Archive
The WPA Film Library
Gabriel Wrye
Special Thanks
Kayvan Abbassi
Dave Abelson
Iraj & Katy Afshar
Parvin Azimi
Gary Cohen
Lilach Dekel
Hirad Dinavari
Lyle Gamm
Heather Holton-Tehrani
Diana Holtzberg
Cynthia Kane
Mary & Donald Martin
Afsaneh Mehran
Richard O’Connell
Jan Rofekamp
Alex Tehrani
Reza Tehrani
Lois Vossen
Duane & Hilary Weeks
Funding provided by
Jerome Foundation
Roberto Casuela
The New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA)
The ILEX Foundation
Executive Producer for ITVS
Sally Jo Fifer
ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING is a co-production of Tru Films Inc. and the Independent Television Service (ITVS),
with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
This film was produced by Tru Films, INC., which is solely responsible for its content.