An Islamic state was established in Iran after the Revolution of 1979. Political oppression markedly increased thereafter, and many who disagreed with the government were arrested. Three former Iranian political prisoners, Shokufeh, Shirin, and Reza Ghaffari talk about their personal escapes from Iran.

What are the push/pull factors (reasons that an individual leaves their homeland and the factors that would draw them to Canada) for the three people profiled in the film excerpt? Why did the three leave Iran? What were their first experiences upon arriving in Canada?

In 1992 a young Iranian student hanged himself on the outskirts of a small Ontario town. Having escaped the Ayatollah's regime and found a new home in Canada, he could not escape his past. News of the young stranger's death hit home with Masoud Raouf. He too was part of the generation who fought for democracy during the reign of the Shah. With The Tree that Remembers, Raouf assembled a group of Iranians - all former political prisoners like himself, who were active in the democratic movement. Blending their testimony with historical footage and original artwork, he honours the memory of the dead and celebrates the resilience of the living.