Amir Soltani '84
Redemption
27 minutes, 2009 (Documentary)
Directed by Amir Soltani ’84
Screening:
Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Redemption
is a documentary film about recycling in West Oakland. The film explores the
connections between poverty, culture, and the environment. It is a story about
the challenges of co-existence in a transitional neighborhood: one that is
industrial and residential, and reflects economic struggles with questions of
equality and social justice. Who defines, controls, and creates space in such a
complex urban setting? Where does a marginalized group of recyclers fit within
this landscape? What role can a group of recyclers, a recycling center,
community residents, and city government play in this debate? Redemption
challenges our perceptions about poverty, homelessness, and community through
the perspective of recycling. Is there redemption in recycling?
Filmmaker Bio:
Amir Soltani '84
is the director of operations at Omid for Iran, a nonprofit devoted to
promoting civil and human rights in Iran. Amir has worked in the
business, media, nonprofits and philanthropy. He was the US
coordinator for Afghans for Civil Society, a consultant to the Caux
Round Table of Principled Business Leadership, and the founder of the
Blue Initiative, a Human Rights Organization devoted to protecting
Iranian students and scholars. Amir is
a board member of Arghand Cooperative and Faith Voices for the Common
Good. He writes about politics and religion. His articles have appeared
in the International Herald Tribune, the Boston Globe, the New York
Review of Books and the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. He studied social
and intellectual history at Tufts, the Fletcher School, and Harvard.
