Iran: The Sanctions Hotel

At the height of Iran's isolation, a fashion designer and an architect attempt to turn an old mud palace into a hotel.

This film chronicles the five-year struggle of architect Amir Anoushfar and designer Shadi Parand to preserve one of Iran's largest historical buildings by turning it into an international boutique hotel. 

Turning a crumbling mud palace into a five-star hotel would be a challenge in any country, but in Ahmadinejad's Iran, beset by international sanctions, with foreign tourists jailed for spying and foreign embassies set on fire, it is an undertaking bordering on the absurd. 

For Amir and Shadi, however, this is not a commercial exercise but a vital step in the preservation of Iran's culture - a task in which they believe they cannot afford to fail.