Surely you remember Neda Agha-Soltan.
This past Sunday, June 20, 2010, was the first anniversary of Neda’s death at the hands of a Basiji sniper during the 2009 Iranian election protests.
The viral cell phone video of the aftermath of her fatal shooting was distributed at lightning speed around the world through social networking sites and services, and was a key element in galvanizing public opinion against the Iranian leadership.
In the year since her passing, the martyred Neda (whose name means “voice” in Persian), continues to be an iconic symbol of the post-election reform movement in Iran.
For Neda is a British documentary which tells Neda’s personal story through the voices of her family and friends, who were interviewed surreptitiously by journalist Saeed Kamali Dehghan.
It premiered on HBO last week and has also been made available on YouTube (embedded below) and for download as part of an effort to prevent the Iranian government from censoring it.
I watched For Neda last night and found it to be both insightful and moving. Not only does the film comprehensively cover Neda’s too short life, but it examines the repression and inequality that women in Iran have struggled with since the arrival of the Islamic regime in 1979.
The 67-minute documentary is well worth the investment of your time, and I highly recommend it.
A Farsi version of For Neda is also available.
David Swinney helps businesses implement social media strategies and plans in order to identify customers and their influencers, engage them in conversation, and leverage those connections to improve the bottom line.
As a technologist with a background in social media, corporate communications, technical and customer support, vendor relationship and project management, he is able to comfortably discuss various social media topics with managers, individual contributors, and just plain folks.
Contact David if you're looking for someone to create, build, and enhance your customer relationships using social media tools and technologies. 