The video is authentic, and perhaps the audio too, but the combination of the two is fictional—for now, at least. We see the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei taking refuge in a mosque, surrounded by his followers. Meanwhile, we hear the protests outside becoming increasingly furious and violent. This is a documentary about the near future of Iran, maker Saleh Kashefi hopes.
The Iranian filmmaker, who has now fled to Switzerland, delved into the archives of Khamenei's website, which contain endless videos of sermons and speeches that Iran’s supreme leader has given over the years. Kashefi places the images in a new context; through his careful selection and editing, he shows Khamenei not as the strong leader he likes to present himself as, but as a desperate dictator in his vulnerable final moments.
