Hope, votes, & bullets

On June 12, 2009, election officials in Iran announced that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been reelected by a landslide. Before doing so, however, they made sure that the mobile network was turned off and that internet access was limited. No one expected a fair count of the vote, but few Iranians expected to hear that the first term president had gained such a commanding victory. By the end of the evening, people all over Iran had taken to their rooftops to shout out their despair. On the 15th, a reported three million took to Tehran’s streets to join a silent protest. Their unity and public expression surprised and invigorated those on the streets and those watching all over the world. Hope, Votes & Bullets tells a very personal story of change, despair, and protest from people in Iran and outside who somehow found their lives consumed by the possibility of a new future for the nation.