Joseph Hospian Tells Voice of America: I Made the Film ‘We Will Win’ in Support of ‘Iran’s Popular Uprising’

Joseph Hospian, an Iranian writer, director, and producer residing in Los Angeles, released a short film in support of Iran’s nationwide protests.

This narrative work is titled “We Will Win” and its publication on social media has been met with appropriate reactions from both Iranian and non-Iranian users.

Joseph Hospian tells Voice of America: “This is the fourth video project I have created in recent months with the aim of supporting Iran’s popular uprising, and I am very pleased that it has received attention and has been impactful.”

He further adds that positive reactions from viewers have caused him to focus more on issues related to Iran and to continue on this path seriously.

According to Joseph Hospian, as a filmmaker living outside of Iran, it is very important for him to stand with the Iranian people during such a sensitive period and to use his abilities to amplify their voice.

He emphasizes that all Iranians should use every tool at their disposal so that the voice of the Iranian people is heard louder outside the country, so that we can reach our desired outcomes of “victory” and “freedom” sooner.

Mr. Hospian, noting that he was deeply disturbed upon hearing news of recent executions by the Islamic Republic, says that he did not want the film’s focus to be solely on the “brutal crimes” of this government.

According to this Iranian director, depicting execution scenes is in no way pleasant, and he intended to look at this process from a different perspective.

In the story “We Will Win,” a young girl witnesses the execution of one of the protesters through a small window of her home, and her father must explain this horrific event to her, but using a trick, he compares the execution to a game.

According to Joseph Hospian, the film’s message is that “we will ultimately win in this game, and in this battle, and despite paying a heavy price, with courage and perseverance, we will continue until victory and will not lose hope.”

He further adds that following the film’s release on social media, the hashtag “We Will Win” was shared multiple times by Iranian users for a period of time.

In this short work, the names of Mahsa Amini, Mohsen Shekari, Nika, Majid Reza Rahnavard, Morteza Qaderi, Mahboubeh Mousavi, and several other Iranian protesters are mentioned.

Joseph Hospian is the son of Haig Hospian, an Armenian-born priest, bishop of the Evangelical Church of Iran, and human rights activist who was killed in Iran in 1993.

He notes that accepting his father’s death was very difficult, and says that this event, at the same time, enabled him to better understand the pain of losing loved ones.

This Iranian director says that just as his father fought for freedom of expression and human rights and gave his life for this cause, he too, as an Armenian Christian, despite perhaps having different thoughts or beliefs than others, considers it his duty to fight for the important and shared cause of freedom and to stand with the Iranian people.

Joseph Hospian emphasizes that he will continue on this path until final victory and supports the Iranian people’s freedom movement by creating diverse artistic works.

Source: Voice of America