Bassidji

"This year, millions of Iranians poured into the streets to support reforming their government, and their protests elicited a violent response from a militia group known as the Bassidj. Director Mehran Tamadon had the prescience to explore the world of the Bassidj in 2007, before they recently made headlines. As an Iranian citizen who now lives abroad, Tamadon cultivated access to Bassidj members over several years. Without hiding his own secular liberalism, he got bassidjis to talk about their religious and political convictions. The resulting dialogue helps us better understand the opposition to the reform movement. In Persian, bassidj means “mobilized.” The label was adopted by volunteers who supported elite troops in the Iran-Iraq War.