E-mail a friendJune 5, 2009
Journalist Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad and Honeymoon in Tehran, discusses how relations with the West factor into the upcoming election in Iran. Writer-actress Nia Vardalos compares screenwriting to acting and talks about her new film My Life in Ruins.
Azadeh Moaveni
Azadeh Moaveni
Time magazine's contributing writer on the Middle East talks about the difficulty working as a journalist in Iran. (:51)
Full interview. (11:30)
A contributing writer on the Middle East for Time, Azadeh Moaveni is one of few American correspondents allowed to work continuously in Iran since '99. She's reported on women's rights and Islamic reform and covered the Iraq war for the Los Angeles Times. She's also written two autobiographies, Lipstick Jihad and Honeymoon in Tehran. Moaveni grew up in Palo Alto, CA and studied politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She won a Fulbright fellowship and studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo.
Nia Vardalos
Nia Vardalos
Award-winning actress-writer describes her struggle in getting an acting job and turning to script writing out of necessity. (2:30)
Full interview. (11:21)
Nia Vardalos is the epitome of an underdog success story. Her one-woman autobiographical play, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, was turned into one of the most successful indie features ever released. She received numerous awards and honors, including a screenwriting Oscar nod and an Independent Spirit Award. Born in Canada, Vardalos started in local theater. She won a scholarship to Toronto's Ryerson University and was a member of the Toronto and Chicago Second City theater troupes. She next stars in the comedy My Life in Ruins.