Summary
Highlights
The video begins by introducing Chapter 7, 'The Heroes,' focusing on the liberation of 3,000 political prisoners, including Simek Dari and Mohsen Shikibi. Simek, a professor and journalist, and Mohsen, a revolutionary, were both communists imprisoned in the 1970s and released in March 1979. The protagonist's mother calls Lali, Simek's daughter, to tell her that her father, who she believed was 'on a trip,' is finally coming home. Margie, the protagonist, initially struggles with the idea that Lali's father was imprisoned, as her own grandfather, who was also said to be 'on a trip' had died.
Simek arrives, reuniting with his family and revealing the physical and psychological scars of his imprisonment. Soon after, Mohsen arrives, sharing even more brutal details of the torture he endured, including having his nails pulled out and electric cables used on his feet. He explains that their torturers were trained by the CIA and knew exactly how to inflict maximum pain. They also recount the tragic story of Ahmadi, a guerilla fighter who suffered extreme torture and was ultimately dismembered because he was unable to use the cyanide pill he carried.
The children, including Margie and Lali, are exposed to these horrific stories, which they initially integrate into their games, imagining different forms of torture. Margie's mother attempts to comfort her, promising justice for the atrocities committed. The revolution being over gives Margie a sense of security, but she abandons her 'dialectic materialism' comic strips and finds solace in the arms of her friend.
Chapter 8, 'Moscow,' begins with Margie questioning if her father was a hero. She then learns about her Uncle Anoosh, her father's brother, who had been imprisoned. Anoosh's return reunites him with his mother and makes Margie feel she finally has a hero in her family. Anoosh shares his past, starting at 18 when his uncle Fereydoon declared the independence of the Iranian province of Azerbaijan and appointed himself Minister of Justice. Anoosh became Fereydoon's secretary, sharing his ideals despite his grandfather's loyalty to the Shah.
Anoosh recounts a terrible nightmare he had, which foreshadowed the arrest of Fereydoon by the Shah's soldiers. Fereydoon, knowing his arrest was coming, chose to stay rather than flee. The story also reveals Fereydoon had a girlfriend who visited him in prison, and they conceived a child before his execution. She then left for Switzerland. After Fereydoon's arrest, Anoosh walked through the snow to his parents' house but was not safe, as the Shah's police were searching for him. He then swam across the Aras River to seek refuge in the USSR.
In the USSR, Anoosh became a student, earning a doctorate in Marxism-Leninism. He married and had two daughters, but his wife later left him, which he jokingly attributes to Russians not having 'hearts.' Feeling lonely and missing his family and country, Anoosh decided to return to Iran with a false passport. He was quickly recognized and imprisoned for nine years. Margie compares his suffering to that of Simek, and Anoosh emphasizes the importance of remembering their family history, however difficult it may be.