ROAD TRIP MIDDLE EAST: Iran (Part 2 - Shiraz)

if this Iranian promise was a lie has actively engaged in terrorism with SAS abated friction between Tehran and the West Iran is lying for bad news for Iran and the Iranian economy I'm going to take you with me on a journey through Iran maybe you think of this country as the magnificent ancient land of the Persian Empire maybe you know its history of poetry art exotic food breathtaking landscape but let's be honest many of you probably think of a place of danger terrorism maybe people who hate the west and practice a religion that seems very very frightening can I speak on behalf of the people of the country no absolutely not I'm just learning about this culture myself and one trip interviewing a handful of people even individuals of different socioeconomic backgrounds and ages is not a statistically adequate cross-section of a nation but when you think about it what one piece of work ever represents the full spectrum of a country in its people at least in my case you know there is no sponsor no one paying me no agenda other than to encourage curiosity and empathy for others they didn't work with the Tourism Board and I've admitted openly that I was actually quite undecided about whether to travel to Iran because I was afraid but this is a story of how I went from fear and ignorance to understanding or continued confusion but ultimately sympathy for a humble open-minded population with so much love to give [Music] when you wake up in the morning with you what do you want from me like someone's a very safe country and my dream is for the world to see this how nice these people are how laid-back people we are we're not this ninja I'm crazy people you see on TV more people we know in the media and in the other country that there there is no good image of our people yes we are going to be charging yeah but it's not all of us you know yes yes and that's why people like tourists because they found a tourist and traveler at a link to to show themselves to the dwarf sure from the media that Iranians are Pro terrorism they want like war it's tapas it and be peaceful and we want to make peace with the whole my visa hadn't yet processed and the plan had been to catch an overnight ferry from Dubai across the Persian Gulf and arrived in Bandar Abbas but it was said that I wouldn't be able to be issued a visa from wonder of us and so I had to fly by plane to surance [Music] the reason I was little nervous aside from it being my first time ever wearing a hijab was because when I contacted the Iranian consulate months ago asking about a film permit they wouldn't believe that I wanted to film a documentary for YouTube on Iran without anyone paying me they said you must be working for someone you must have a sponsor I didn't end up getting the film permit and they advised me against filming I put on my visa application that I was a teacher to avoid any questioning but one look in my suitcase and they would see all of my professional cameras and tripods and one Google search of my name and they would see online that I have been a journalist for ten years and I just knew that was gonna make them suspicious so I was nervous but right from the moment I bought at the plane Iranians were smiling and asking excitedly why I was traveling alone to their country and I started realizing that perhaps some of my fears were unfounded when I landed the visa took an hour to process the officials were super friendly and all they wanted to do was point out that it would be my birthday in a few days and wish me happy birthday and thank me for celebrating it in Iran a kind woman from the plane helped translate the address of my hotel and then ended up coming with me in the taxi just to make sure I got there okay because nobody had heard of this hotel it's called the database has their boutique hotel and I'd read about the owner of this very interesting woman called Farah knock I get out in this dusty alleyway there's nothing but hop Huck but then I push through the door into this oasis and all of my doubts disappeared I am absolutely in love with Iran already I I was just on a plane and and this people were so kind to me just even being on the plane like so excited that I'm here and that I have interest in that country it was wonderful lunch in the courtyard and then the owner this incredible woman I'll introduce you later she says I'm just going into into town would you like to come for a walk in with me of course I mean I will just go anywhere with her it's I so excited but I do smell good oh wow smell of my city in one day sign y'all laughing and coming as a secret of orange blossom and this is the smell of Shiraz so tonight I'm gonna give you orange blossom see how many different key I'm going to give you tonight [Music] [Music] [Music] it's a good picture with you oh sure that's a union you get that it off okay hey everybody wants to take a picture with you so you're an artist yes yes fantastic what what type of us i sculpt Earl fantastic you're gonna meet this very pretty very talented artist [Music] [Music] I'm so happy to be here it's just it's more beautiful than I could have ever expected yesterday the owner fire took me out into the market and we're walking through the street and it's just so alive and so beautiful I had no idea it was gonna be this beautiful it's like poetry and of course Persian culture has this history of poetry of poets and then you can you see that you hear it and and and the things we've been eating oh my gosh I can't wait to share everything with you oh thank you so much thank you [Music] for a longest time I wanted to do something for my country my motherland to show the world how peaceful the hospitable this before all media portray from Iran it it's not true and people they come to Iran they don't come to saying if I ever saw a child if they want to go to stay in five or start so here Dubai they go to the right if they were to go to be just but here we get the most cultured and most sophisticated tourists yeah of the world which is I consider us a like a so when when you when you said that to me the other day I it's true I never thought of it before but one of the great reasons to travel in Iran is which he because of the types of tourists who meet expand and more and more to the point here specifically like I mean just the example today at breakfast breakfast finished a long time ago but I just met this really inspiring couple and we've honestly they have the most wonderful children and I really admire the way your parenting style is what I was first drawn to what is your impression of Iran and and and traveling here whereas it as a family I think runs beautiful when I started telling my colleagues at school whether you know to go to your own not list all be careful there might be a bit bombings and so on but now we're here it's actually stunning yeah and my kids have just enjoyed it but you you guys are super adventurous no your husband always telling me you've been to what 50 countries or something like 50 countries now yeah and you and you and you travel often with your kids we always right from the start we thought that we love traveling we're not gonna limit ourselves because of our children we're just gonna get them used to all of this to see the world and now in this trip I really saw that they've actually learned so much this has been such an educational trip here as well as having so much fun you know they've learned so much they became a lot more confident trying out different foods yeah being in different environments not always having to be in a comfortable environment yeah it's been really really amazing so what is your secret because is there one of the few families I've ever seen and you're all sitting down at breakfast you're talking to each other this is such a rare thing these days on their phones at all you know they're just there playing I mean I'd forgotten what it's like to see children you play to play at home yeah ten of the TV's turn off your iPhones iPads and you take away your phone away yourself as well and just try to have that interaction with your kids very important yeah it's you'll explore a different way of life with them yeah and you'll get them to kind of have a good communication yeah with you and with each other I feel so so so connected to you because you you have that similar question that I always have is like where do I belong and and obviously being for me a lifelong expat and always traveling and and feelings so connected with different people in different moments but not feeling like I can find somewhere that connection that endures you know a city that that really makes me feel that you know for a lifetime but I think after actually also talking to you now realize that you don't have to have a sense of belonging to it to one particular place I really think you know you can just try and make yourself fit in different places mm-hmm you know we have a bit of us here in Iran we have a bit of us in Iraq obviously England and you know justjust we're all connected how is it that you know but no it's always true but how is it that you guys are so adventurous because I hear about your travels when you're so I mean you've you you travel back to to Iraq and we've gone back to a few times to kind of do some medical work well Beth dentists so we've gone back here twice there to take some teeth out on orphans and so on and again we're checking our kids and I've helped got my son and my daughter clean area and talk to the little kids there that gives them a good sense of understanding what they've got in the real world dated and what in a fortunate world they have their unfortunate life that the orphans have and that gives them a sense of understanding of the real world yeah as well and and involved in everything you do and that way big exploration would be part of their life and hosted by the end of it they'll become good complete human beings yes give them a good life that they could explore and help people at the end with it yeah yeah so that's that's what we we aim for no I'm honestly I'm so inspired by you to endure this is that this is why you always meet good people MN everywhere you go you'll learn an experience and that makes you a human being hmm and for us I think that was the aim is just to kind of just travel around and see what the world is and this is a beautiful world that we live in I think well I think it's like attracts like I think you guys are trying to drag that heavy living even this gentleman standing behind us here is like nobody Amita you you obviously you had the same experience of me know you you you fell in love with this this couple in this family and then you are ended up at a table for hours to so obviously I'm not the only one yeah but we want to learn from different people you know every person you meet yeah many of your friends back in London think you're a bit crazy before taking your taking your kids on the road yes it's happening grounds yeah and we've explored different things I've seen history that has been 5,000 years old and and different you know under cities and empires comes through and that makes us what we are today yeah it's nice to learn ever about our history at the same time to our kids to see what history all about and so they it's just a fallacy then like kids are not going to find history interesting that they have to but they have to have a phone in their hands no it's not true they you know yesterday they were they were fascinated with the shepherdess yeah yeah just through about everything you know we were teaching when we went into as tahan and we saw the the mosques that were built 500 years ago and they actually found it fascinating yeah yeah you know we were showing them you know that the designs and if this design is different to the design that was in this olicity they they actually really defined it but because because you lead by examples because they see that you guys are so engaged and curious and now I think I think you should try and sort of like mold them to to how you want rather than molding yourself yeah around them sure that in limiting your loan yeah we've talked we've both traveled separately before we met yeah yeah and we both felt like should we is this the end of our traveling adventure yeah or should we just carry on yeah looking into town because I have to change some money over which it's quite difficult because obviously you can't get currency out of ATMs here financially we're not doing what there's all sort of sanction on us do you feel optimistic about about the future of tourism in Iran because obviously like you said the people who come here if you don't know I mean very old sort of sanction or ask what else I mean itself people are coming I don't know what I was taking they can do against ours but still people are coming because I'm sure when you go back and when you have your film and people they said I'm sitting relaxed and I'm telling them that and they're like oh then on TV on CNN or BBC or whatever they were showing something else how come yes but that's not true and this is so real and true a woman like me a businesswoman in Italy has different challenges than me I have clients I don't know how to collect my money I have people they want to put my hotel I don't know how to get the confirmation to their booking people want to come I mean when you want to travel to anywhere in the world you use your credit card you pay on payment in some people they've got to travel to this country they gotta get trashing their hand Gelder yeah you have your cash you have your saving the young people they want to travel they don't love is saving nearly one credit off credit cause they need payment and but I still they come you come so yes I mean they cannot stop people from coming to even they can't stop them what is what is the dream for you I mean what is when you wake up in the morning what do you what do you want for me it's a big question but it's a very good question because I really dream of that I want my city I want I want people to be happier I want to help the economy in the financial situation of my people clarity is my passion politic is my passion too I don't think I'm gonna get to politics in a mere on the politic year you know you know it's a politician or a politician everywhere in the world are they very likable people because exactly if I have to sell my soul and yeah I'm not awkward charity walk that I can change that I can have impact again on people's life is something I really want to do this country is so much to offer and there's so much potential which has not been used properly [Music] I found myself drawn to the vacuum mosque next to the bustling bazaar it was built by Karim Khan founder of the Zandt dynasty in the 18th century a time that is written in history as a chapter of peace justice and prosperity particularly for the city of Shiraz it's definitely the time of day to come it's just no one and these days it's hard to find tourist sites where you can have a little moment of peace and really absorb the architecture or the art and I came her this morning and then then I thought no I'm gonna come back when the life is better for the camera but it's also better just for the the the emotional experience you can hear your footsteps on the stone and this feels very spiritual I guess [Music] [Music] the call to prayer is so beautiful but it's often used in TV shows and films as this emotional trigger for an establishing shot of the villains the danger the terrorists even and I was thinking as I as I walked through the city alone how difficult it is to divorce ourselves from this narrative cue we hear it and instantly we tense up because we've seen so many narratives where this signifies danger [Music] then what they show on their media it's so unlike us we're one of the safest country on air it's a moves laid-back I mean when I'm gonna tube and I don't know Paris or London I'm always scared but he talk like that I'm boarding with nothing on me I mean I'm never scared because I know nobody would have tried it was they have a strong faith committee it's nice and early I'm just oh my gosh is this a secret there's a bakery right outside my hotel didn't even see oh my gosh let's go and see [Music] he's on my time [Music] [Music] this is an example I was just in that paper with all men I was the only female and I didn't feel stress and I didn't feel uncomfortable they just made me feel so so welcome they told me to come inside women in Iran can vote whole government office owned businesses they make up more than 70% of iran's science and engineering students and as you will see the hijab is worn in a much more casual way with hair showing and without the shador the full body cloak covering that you will see in iran but that is not mandated by law he was doing the documentary for the group yeah and then my husband has of course green eyes and he doesn't look around he looks very Italian okay start talking to me I'm like he's a spy oh my god what this look he speaks perfect Farsi he gotta be spy because we're a nyan also we think whoever speaks Farsi there's paw so this force is a very difficult language and you're willing to learn something either you wanna Iranian wife or you ain't no husband oh you spy it's not like English everybody could have learned or it's hollyanne you love and you go no wait you know little learn Farsi you either gotta be spy or you're gonna be in love with somebody then I ask him how can you speak fluent first he said I'm Iranian Baba my name is gonna say my last name is like ah so I met him and we fell in love and we got married six months later what does he say he fell in love with when when he met you he's a strong woman so crazy so loud and then let it making everything happen and not like her yeah I think the fact that was full of life yes and like you know being very strong usually gay guy they fall in love with me it's timeless franca said guy they don't like strong woman that much you know that oh my god yeah exactly let's just say it everyone is always asking about how women feel to to be in a country like Iran women are very respected in Iran yeah to be honest I mean because I'm a woman I always get away with so many things I kind of scream and I can complain and I can get things the way I want and I can you know not stay in line they're like you know please come in the front of the line they always offer me to sit I mean in in trade in taxi everywhere I mean it's an advantage to be a woman you know and you're honest that's how I think I have court cases with few people and I've been to court and I'm talking to George and I'm fighting for my rights and nobody ever treat me differently because I'm a woman and he's a man I mean I've never felt that I mean I've never never feel I'm different than any other man in this and and and running a business people especially when you're doing business who's scared of me I raise my wife if if a guy raised his voice perhaps they're gonna call security on them but they never call security and I raise my voice I want this I wanna because they respect me at the end of the day I'm more delicate I'm a mom and I'm more emotional and more delicate more allow them you know more and indeed asunder yeah but also in the bizarre when I was just watching you and I it's not this I mean what what some people would would see as the the role of the female of being quite subservient and oppressed and many and you're they're like joking with a making fun of them I mean it's not like police would come and look you don't have a scarf you gotta wear no there is no such a thing even our police you know everybody our restaurants nobody would like you know it's it's so rude of the country to wear Hydra but nobody could've like you know disrespect you or trade treat you bad because you're a job follow but people expect you to way you know just like this noise and they fire up as they can be very fashionable yeah yeah you know you've also lived overseas as well yes Europe lilibet North America little bit Dubai then parallel and finally she rose and I think is the last stuff yeah because I don't find myself as happy in any other places are built because first of all the weather I love this weather I mean it's always it's it's it's so clean it's so nice the bird always singing I mean you don't have that anywhere else you're gonna leave this series in order but Shiraz is a big city and until you have bird singing and people are very very hospitable and kind and giving in this city I love Shiraz I go I go to the bazaar and the guy doesn't know me and I don't know him and I'm like okay I don't have my bank card on me and I want to buy this that cake it take it you bring it later yeah I mean what do you mean the world is becoming this you know robotic robotic another kind of place and you don't see that humanity touch anymore the hijab is a complicated contentious and very personal subject and I can really only speak about my experience as a tourist wearing one personally I don't believe a woman's dignity is defined by her dress but I understand that it is a painful symbol of oppression for some women and very meaningful to others in this world and if this is what is required by law to visit Iran and I am a guest then I will respect it because the alternative is to avoid Iran and in a way you know who this punishes I think it punishes the women all these highly curious highly educated females with degrees with businesses because many of them work in tourism women with a desire to engage with the outside world far knock is fortunate to have lived in canada dubai in europe but many Persian women have great difficulty to ever get a visa to travel or ever live abroad so if I have to dress slightly differently for a couple of weeks on holiday but the reward is experiencing the Magnificent kindness of Iranian people learning about their culture doing a tiny part to fortify a human connection between the West and the Middle East instead of relying on governments and media both with their own agendas to decide who I should show kindness to then I believe that's worth it I've certainly got so much more to learn about Iran and the Middle East but I'm trying to study the political history and the more I study the more confused I become because it isn't so black and white there are aren't just heroes and villains so I thank you for coming along this journey with me and I hope that we can move towards a world of greater empathy curiosity and kindness [Music] you

Channel: Kylie Flavell

Views: 723,443

Rating: 4.855803 out of 5

Keywords: Iran, Persia, Persian, travel, adventure, Iranian, holiday in Iran, travel in Iran, hotel Iran, tour Iran, travel vlogger, travel vlog, Shiraz, visit Iran, budget filmmaking, solo filmmaker

Id: lLCcM0cVP7M

Length: 31min 0sec (1860 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 21 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/[deleted]]

I was born in this city.

[u/YOUREABOT]

Another masterpiece Kylie! Thank u for showing us the good side of Iran. I think it's important for everyone to realize the world is a different place for what u see on the television. Keep up great work!

[u/darthdro]

Can I ask what you film with mainly?