“Visiting the museum inspires me and everybody to do whatever we can for the war veterans.”

These are the words of renowned Iranian filmmaker, Abbas Kiarostami, who visited the Tehran Peace Museum on Tuesday 9 December 2014.

During his two-hour visit, Mr. Kiarostami familiarized himself with the consequences of chemical weapons used against Iranian soldiers and civilians during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988).  The celebrated director was overwhelmed by the presence of so many chemical weapons survivors volunteering at the museum and listened to them courageously sharing their experiences.  He commented on the effectiveness of such a unique approach to inform visitors first-hand about the scourge of chemical weapons.

Mr. Kiarostami was deeply interested in the culture of peace promoted at the Tehran Peace Museum and was impressed by the number of peace education and outreach activities driven by the museum.  Remarking on the bravery and motivation of the survivors in collaborating to promote a culture of peace, Mr. Kiarostami stated that he wishes to see many more such museums in Iran.  

The staff and volunteers at the Tehran Peace Museum took advantage of Mr. Kiarostami’s visit to recognize him for his 1975 short film, “Two Solutions for One Problem.”  The museum regularly screens this film to young visitors and elementary school students to share common ideals for peace education.

To see the photos of this visit please click here.