Ray Boucher
Knight, Nauzanin (Director). Knight, Mitra, et. al. (Executive Producer). (2025). The Forbidden University. Good Docs. 81 mins. Baháʼí Religion dates back to the 19th Century with its inception in and around modern day Iran which has spread internationally. Though not the smallest non-Muslim group in Iran, it is the only one not recognized by the Iranian government as an independent religion, and, as such, the faith has suffered devastating persecution since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In the resulting theocracy, the government policy regarding the "Baháʼí Question" has included arrests, executions, barring members from positions of influence, and preventing Baháʼís from pursuing higher education. It is the last policy that sets the stage for The Forbidden University, a documentary about the Baháʼí Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), an "underground university" that flies in the face of Iran's oppression of its students and instructors. The nomadic nature of instruction of the University finds it's buildings shut down and classes often taking place in people's homes, an extremely dangerous education as the film highlights. The Forbidden University utilizes interviews with five alumni who relate their harrowing and emotional stories about persecution, arrest, prison, and emigration, and, with the aide of reenactments that are visually stunning, using a digital form of rotoscoping and believable acting. In aid of the audience edification, there is also news footage that deftly sets the historical context. The film is wildly compelling and educational, shedding light on recent and ongoing history in the Middle East, that, given the role of Iran on the world stage, is an enlightening look at world of which many Western viewers may be unaware. It would be suitable for classes in international politics and education.