Watching Nazanin, the documentary that chronicles Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment in Iran and the fight to bring her home, is an emotional rollercoaster. The unwavering dedication of her husband, Richard, who campaigned to free her, the reunions for both with their daughter, Gabriella, and the hunger strikes that Richard and Nazanin endured are incredibly moving. But as the 75-minute film draws to a close, one emotion far surpasses all others: this film will make you furious.
Journalist turned director Darius Bazargan, best known for The Great Game: Iran versus USA, had intimate access to the family and shows them talking lovingly on the phone, Gabriella’s birthday celebrations and fruitless Zoom meetings with Dominic Raab, the then foreign secretary. This is intercut with interviews, and the well-circulated footage of her arrest and the family’s eventual tearful reunion. Zaghari-Ratcliffe narrates scenes, reading aloud letters to her daughter. Much of what she says is incredibly painful to hear. Images of her in a blissful cocoon of new motherhood are shown as she recalls the overwhelming joy of Gabriella’s birth and reflects sorrowfully: “My darling daughter. Those sweet and beautiful days didn’t last long. A trip to Iran in 2016 when you were 22 months was one of no return.”
