Hooria Ahmadi’s latest project, Tehran Youth Diaries, isn’t just another documentary series—it’s a time capsule in the making. Shot through the unfiltered lens of youth navigating a city on the edge of transformation, the series peels back the layers of everyday life in Iran, revealing moments that are both deeply personal and universally resonant.
In a world obsessed with the next big thing, Ahmadi is drawn to what might soon be lost. The project unfolds like a visual diary, documenting conversations, glances, movements, and memories that often slip through the cracks of history. “Every time I look at this footage, I’m reminded that in ten years, much of what we’re capturing might be gone or completely different,” she says. And that’s precisely why she’s archiving it—before change sweeps in, before the ephemeral fades into myth.
There’s an urgency in the way Tehran Youth Diaries moves. It doesn’t chase spectacle; instead, it lingers on the in-between moments—the laughter shared over street food, the quiet tension of a cigarette break, the weight of a glance exchanged across a crowded metro car. It’s about documenting not just a place, but the emotions that define a generation at a crossroads. “In today’s fast-paced world, personal experiences and memories can often be overlooked,” Ahmadi explains. “I want to create something that tells the story of our present—something that, years from now, will still feel alive.”
The first episode, focusing on the winter and spring of 2024, sets the tone for what’s to come. It’s not about nostalgia—it’s about presence. The here and now. The unspoken poetry of a city that keeps shifting while its youth try to make sense of it all.