A searing, intimate documentary that takes viewers deep into the 2022–2023 protest wave that erupted across Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman detained by the country’s “morality police” for allegedly violating hijab rules. Told almost entirely through clandestine smartphone footage shot by Iranians themselves, the film offers a raw and emotionally powerful look at a society pushed to the brink—and the courage of those who fight back.

What begins with protests led by young women and students quickly becomes a nationwide uprising, drawing in workers, ethnic minorities, and ordinary families from every corner of the country. Through street chants, rooftop cries of “Woman, Life, Freedom,” defiant graffiti, schoolgirl walkouts, and viral videos of unveiled women marching boldly in public, the documentary captures how Iranians challenged the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy in the most sustained way in decades.

The uprising builds on a long legacy of resistance in Iran—most notably the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah, and the 2009 Green Movement, where millions demanded reform and free elections. But this movement was different: leaderless, woman-led, and intersectional, with fierce organizing in Kurdish and Baluchi regions and widespread youth participation. Protesters not only rejected clerical rule but also gender apartheid, economic inequality, and ethnic discrimination.

Although the regime responded with brutal repression—killing hundreds, jailing thousands, and executing protesters—the acts of defiance haven’t stopped. Today, women continue to go unveiled in public as a quiet, daily act of protest. Underground networks are organizing support for families of the detained. University students boycott classes, workers strike, and activists in exile amplify the movement globally. These resistance efforts, while less visible now, remain steady—and dangerous for those involved.

Inside the Iranian Uprising is not just a record of what happened—it's a record of what continues. It honors the memory of young Iranians like Nika Shahkarami and Sarina Esmailzadeh, and demands the world not look away. It’s a testament to the power of everyday people armed with only their phones and their voices, refusing to be silenced.

The film includes protest footage, shows police brutality, and torture victims describe their experience. It’s an urgent, powerful resource for understanding youth-led resistance, women’s rights, and authoritarianism.