ABSTRACT
In the first meeting of my classes on Iranian history, culture, and politics, the author tells to his students: "Things are not going to be as you expect". Although many have taken other courses on Middle Eastern history and politics, their exposure to the subject remains limited to books and lectures. To most, Iran is terra incognita inhabited by oppressed women, humorless clerics, and crazies determined to blow up Israel with nuclear weapons. One of their first lessons his my class is that the Islamic Republic, despite limitations of finance and censorship, has produced a rich harvest of remarkable independent films, one of which, Jodaii-ye Nader az Simin, earned an Oscar in 2012. The author usually shows the film on the first day of class because it provides such a thought-provoking introduction to Iran and its people. The student audience also notes how practical the young Iranian women are.
