June 15, 2007
Ahmadinejad's Iran



Watch the program: Part 1 | Part 2

For two years I'd been trying to get a press visa into Iran. Downloading the application form, filling it out, attaching the passport photos. It was all so routine and always so unsuccessful that when I did it halfway through the Australian summer of 2007, I really wasn’t expecting a result.

A few weeks later I was driving down the East Coast on a glorious, sunny day when I got the call, I was in. I had to pull over I was so excited.

But then came the bad news. It's a 10-day visa and your time starts now.

Now?! I was five hours away from Sydney, no flight booked, no interviews lined up, no cash ready, nothing. I managed to plead an extra five days from the Embassy but still, I had to scramble.

I heard later from other journalists that this "instant visa" that makes it nearly impossible to plan your interviews and filming in advance is common practice. My first lesson on the difficulties of working as a journalist in Iran.

Part of the reason I was so excited was that I'd been to Iran seven years ago, not as a journalist but as a student and traveler. I had fond memories of friendly, curious people and that famous Persian hospitality.

I quickly realized that turning up as a journalist was a whole different story. It's not that people weren't friendly, but they were cautious, and very wary of me. A common refrain was "I don’t want trouble."

Once I pulled out the camera people would literally turn around and walk-away. Getting "ordinary" Iranians on tape was incredibly difficult, and those who did talk would do so briefly and often with their eyes darting around to see who was watching.

Usually, someone was watching. There was one man I met who was happy to talk to me and help me out. A conservative, deeply religious man who supported his country and didn't have a dissident bone in his body, he took me one night to a mosque to film a meeting of the Basiji –- Iran’s voluntary militia force.

The group read the Quran and did a few exercises, all very patriotic behaviour, yet before long a serious looking official in plain clothes turned up with a notepad and wanted all my details. As I left he was taking down the details of the friendly man who'd taken me to the mosque. By simply trying to help me better understand his country my new friend had managed to get himself placed on the security/intelligence radar.

But being the country of contradiction that it is -– I was also given freedoms as a journalist that surprised me. Requests for all "official" interviews had to be submitted through the Ministry of Culture and Guidance. I did this, and was granted permission to interview people who were openly critical of the government.

Ebrahim Yazdi for example, who appears in my story, is a known critic of the government and indeed the entire system, yet my request to interview him was quickly and easily approved. I also interviewed academics and economists who spoke out against President Ahmadinejad. The government owned and run media agency who helped "fix" my interviews seemed only too happy to help me get what I needed.

Despite the challenges it is a fascinating country to work in and there are so many interesting, unreported stories there. It's not all politics and nuclear programs either! My next visa application will be going off again soon ...

From Bronwyn Adcock, Reporter, SBS Dateline
I do not believe CNN program titled "World's Untold Stories: Ahmadinejad's Iran" was produced fairly. It is absolutely one side of the story and it is CNN's view of Iran not the rest of the World. CNN has failed to introduce Iranian people and Iran as country. Iran does not belong to Ahmadinejad. It belongs to all Iranian were ever we live now for all political and social reasons. As some people in U.S. elected Bush, some people in Iran elected Ahmadinejad. Do you call America as Bush's America!? Of Course, NOT.
I watched the documentary and read your report. I establish that you've interviewed mostly people who are against Ahmadinejad. On CNN I could only watch positiv issues about Ahmadinejad for few minutes. I don't understand why Ahmadinejad is schown by you as a bad President who don't keep his promises. Show me one state on earth which has no opposition! With greetings.
your censorship is as good as ahmadinejad
very poor choice of title "Ahmadinejad's Iran"

Ahmadinejad is just one citizen of Iran. If you study the process of election in Iran, you will realize that he is not elected through a democratic process. I am sorry to say that among so many programs/reports I have seen and read your is the worst. please look up Sean Penn's report and learn a bit about true journalism.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/22/DDGJUEAF041.DTL
It was a noce documentry but Iran is a big country with variety of ideas and cultures and langueges. In western media never you can not find a real documentry about for understanding Iranians and theire culture, because they are influenced by political issues!
But I like that movie. Especially nice translation ! Translatore was clever enough!
I have not seen the report. Just the preview on CNN. Is it possible to see this report on the internet? I will then give my comments.
my name is mehdi and i live in iran.
all of is bullshit,
on the is see the tv show (hogan knows beat)he give mony to men for
they SHOUT "hogan Hogan Hogan" this is iranan people an goverment
no body like or love "Ahmadinejad's,
This all about mony.
I am an Iranian who live in outside of Iran after election in 2005. About this program that i love it(untold stories) i have to say i disagree with some parts of it,for example when Mr Ziba Kalam is saying if U.S attack Iran , people of Iran will be behind this president and support him even they are against him, i think and i believe this opinion is wrong because most of Iranian hate Ahmadinejad and they have a lot of economic problems that main cause is wrong ecocnomic political his govenrnment and they can't think about war. if you asked them i think about more than 50% of them will answer[ we like U.S]and people you see in this program who agree and are supporter president, some of them believe this person but the rest are living just for their benefits. If U.S attack Iran they will get supporter U.S because at that time their benefits are in supporting and collaborate with U.S .
First of all, I'd like to thank you, Bronwyn Adcock, for your report from Iran, my lovely country, and I hope you have more time in next visit.
Second of all, as you mentioned earlier, there are a lot of things besides politics that could be told and reported, history, culture, etc. for instance.
Thank you again!
I watched your program and I found it very good even though I am not a journalist. Many good images of the streets are still in my mind, especially one of a woman with her typical dress and talking to a cellular phone!
Regarding of the interviews, I had wanted to listen women's ideas but I understood that it was an occidental point of view.
Your comments posted in the blog helped me to comprehend the program in particular aspects. For example, I remembered the man in the street who was darting behind many times. I had thought he had been trying to find supporters of his ideas.
I will waiting for a second part.
Ale
this was clean and refreshing. thank you for a new set of eyes.
I started watching your program eagerly, and finished it desperately. I am a 27 year old doctor from Iran and I think that your reporter had been badly influenced by her advisor to choose people to interview. Election of Ahmadinejad (democratic or non-democratic) was the natural result of withdrawal of the major body of people from election, which have been ignored in this program. He is the typical representative of radical islamist group in Iran with a maximum of 20%supporter, and we are not the Ahmadinejad’s Iranian. Who believes (from my generation) that Zibakalam or Yazdi are the symbol of opponents in Iran, as your reporter mentioned in her blog, and why your reporter didn’t interview the real anonymous opponents (students, artists, intellectuals)?
I understand the probable limitation of your reporter but you wasted a golden chance that you had to show the real Ahmadinejad’s Iran.
The whole thing is very interesting indeed, the more so if all those women were REALLY happy in their secluded worlds, and we
could take it as 'a lesson' to our 'promiscuous world' - or otherwise if in captivity, they would dearly soon have freedom perspectives and these wouldn't endanger the males paradise Mohammed apparently promised 'to the faithful'...
But would some day a genuine Persian identity, without arab influence, come out from all this Shiism and make iranians foremost of the Aryas of old, again?
I watched the program and it may not be that accurate, but once again it is the media. We would never see that in the U.S. because our reports our censored to a degree as well. I understand Iranian president for trying to protect what he believes! The Holy Quran and Islam is part of many Iranian's live by. Like it or not, American has no right to go to war with Iran because they don't like who is running the show. Just like Russia would have no right to come to the U.S and take us out. I always see in our media Iran is doing this or that, well where is the proof becuase we know we can't trust the U.S to give us true facts. People in Iran are treated unfairly in ways Americans are not discrimated against, but in America people are also treated unfairly! Why is America trying to fix other Countries when it can't even take care of the problems on it's own land?
Your Interviews was only with islamic radicals,u were in wrong way in your report,the title Ahmadinejad's Iran and ur background music(was a arabian music) are worst part of Your Report! You Even don't know simple diffrence between arab o persian nations!with your poor information how about how you let Yourself to make that report,You Are insulting iranian nation with Your poor Report!
never been to iran, but know it has a wonderful history as one of the points of human thinking.

of late watching interational media you get to see and hear all sorts of things that would get you wandering where this world is heading?

the nation as a leader whos concern is to top the globe but forgetting the basic problems of the citizens of that marvelous nation called iran.

to me his using the u.s and britan as his point of hate while policing his own people in the name of islam and wanting the jews out of..... this world...whatever...its just not worth all they make it out to seem.
It's quite intriguing that the BBC has correspondonts that are permanently based in Tehran meanwhile CNN can't even get into the country at most times. Who should we trust more?
In the 1980's the American & British governments supported the Iraq government of Saddam Hussian, with all kinds of weapons to fight against the Iranians, because we in the west did'nt like what had happened in Iran. I'm not suprised that they do not want to get involved with the West and are way of living. America wastes $500 Billion on the war in Iraq but cannot even help its own people with health care or the people of NEW ORLEANS after hurricane Katrina.
I am not an Iranian, but an Indian. I believe you have done a good job by airing your documentory on ''IRAN''. I think the world should look at Iran as a country of iranians and not one person's. And we should never do a grave mistake like we did in Afganisthan or in IRAQ where every day 1000 of innocent dies because of misue of media, i.e concentarting only on ''politics'' and ignoring other areas.

Kami
ABOUT THIS BLOG
World’s Untold Stories showcases courageous correspondents telling intimate stories of society's most vulnerable people. Often gritty, always powerful tales that open our eyes to a world that is at times disturbing and captivating. Storytelling that is raw and unyielding in its impact. World’s Untold Stories will bring the viewer tales from all corners of the world, and shine light on activities almost never exposed.

Schedule and description
SHOWTIMES

Tuesday 830am 130pm

Thursday 830am 130pm

Saturday 830am 1230pm 1030pm

Sunday 130am 630pm
SUBSCRIBE
    What's this?
CNN Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNN makes reasonable efforts to review all comments prior to posting and CNN may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statement.