Zandland & ITV News Team for Immersive Iran Report

Zandland and ITV News have collaborated for the first time on a unique, immersive report from Iran, featuring never-before-seen footage and access to a civilian perspective.

“This is an extraordinarily rare account of civilians living through a historic and deeply volatile moment from inside Iran, in their own words,” said Ben Zand, filmmaker and founder of Zandland. “At a time when so much of what comes out of the country is tightly controlled, this film offers something uniquely immediate, human and revealing. Footage of this significance, at a moment of global consequence, deserves to be shared with the world, and I’m proud to use the Zandland platform to help do that.”

With AI ensuring their identity remains anonymous, the film follows an Iranian on the ground during this pivotal moment in world events, revealing the extremes of experience and the profound human impact of conflict. Opening with moments of jubilation following the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, it tracks the shift to growing fear and uncertainty as his son, Mojtaba, is announced as the new leader.

Through intimate commentary, viewers witness a civilian navigating life under siege, facing the dangerous consequences of black rain and finding ways to find some normality amid chaos. The film highlights moments of resilience and small acts of courage that emerge in extremely difficult circumstances.

Following its broadcast on ITV News’ YouTube, it will be made available on Zandland’s YouTube channel internationally. A 5-minute cutdown will air on ITV News.

Ed Saunt, head of content at ITV News, said, “Working with Zandland on this project has allowed us to bring audiences an exceptional piece of journalism from a place where independent voices are rarely seen or heard. The access, honesty and perspective in this film offer a vital window into the reality faced by people in Iran during an extraordinary moment in the country’s history.”