AllMovie

With his documentary Jews of Iran, Moslem filmmaker Ramin Farahani provides a rare and privileged glimpse inside of Persia's Judaic minority, with examinations of Jewish life in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. The results are bittersweet: Tehran-based Jewish families forge peaceful and harmonious relationships with Islamic families, yet encounter prejudicial behavior against themselves; Jews in Isfahan feel an impassioned love for the city, while the Jews of Shiraz find themselves scapegoated by accusations of espionage. What emerges in the overall picture is a portrait of determination and a need to preserve the Jewish heritage in spite of adversity and ongoing ethno-religious conflicts.