Those who know me are aware that I was part of the Red Lion and Sun Society (later red crescent) before the revolution. From that time I believed that our people are the kindest in the world and are always willing to lend a helping hand. I remember having discussions with my family and friends that it was imperative for Iran to be connected to with the international community. This connection has become less and less over time. I believe that from 1330 to 1357 Iran went through its renaissance, in that artists created brilliant works in various fields and these works became a reason for people to visit Iran. This very rarely happens nowadays and we essentially don’t have anything special to offer anyway. I am saying that we need to sponsor festivals and events that excite and motivate the people of the world to visit Iran. Something that certainly does not happen now. Holding various international festivals certainly helps. The FIff has certainty taken positive steps in this direction. Certainly we are not where we need to be. Still the fact that we can screen foreign movies for a couple days and invite international guests is still very positive. I will repeat that we still have much to do. A critical issue that distances us from the international community is the exodus of elite talent from Iran. Of course any Iranian having to migrate away from Iran is painful but there are those who are treasures for our society, when they leave it is like a dagger to our hearts. A little while ago, I learned about the immigration of 300,000 people from our country and among them found many notable names. I said to myself, if the Azadi stadium could be filled to capacity three times over, then thats just the number who have migrated recently. Many of these people are educated and could be a boon for our country and their departure darkens the heart. Certainly the presence of elite talent in Iran would greatly grow other festivals like the FIff.
*note Verbal
