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Show notes
Amanda sits down with Dr. Roya Rastegar, an acclaimed scholar, curator, and filmmaker, for a timely and unflinching conversation on Iran’s present crisis and its possible future.
Drawing on her background as a first-generation Iranian American and co-founder of the Iranian Diaspora Collective, Dr. Rastegar offers essential historical and cultural context for understanding the current uprising.
Together, Amanda and Roya examine the protests sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, the scale of violence facing civilians, and why Iranians across generations are demanding an end to the Islamic Republic.
The conversation also explores the role of the diaspora, the limits of sanctions, the debate around international intervention, and what a free Iran could mean for the region—and the world. This is a powerful episode on courage, misinformation, and the voices shaping Iran’s future.
Dr. Roya Rastegar
Dr. Roya Rastegar is an Iranian American curator, filmmaker, and scholar whose work examines visual culture and political power. She is a founding member of the Iranian Diaspora Collective, a nonpartisan, multifaith group that amplifies the voices of people inside Iran.
In 2023 she curated a UCLA program of short films responding to the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising. Over two decades she has programmed for Sundance and Tribeca and led programming at the LA Film Festival. Her producing credits include Netflix’s Gaga: Five Foot Two and the Tribeca Grand Jury Prize winner Cypher.
She earned her Ph.D. under Angela Y. Davis and teaches at UCLA. On Straight to Why, she joins Amanda to talk about the Iranian people’s fight for freedom.