Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo has released the music video for “How Can I Tell You?” from the new documentary “Nasrin.” The song is written by Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). The film chronicles the life of activist Nasrin Sotoudeh, who fought for women’s rights in Iran, as well as the rights of children and journalists, and was arrested in June 2018. She’s serving a sentence of 38 years in prison.
Said Kidjo who featured on the BBC’s list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women: “I am so glad to be part of this beautiful project. I want Nasrin to be free because if she’s not free, none of us are free. She’s fighting for human rights, the right to decide what we want to do with our lives, the right to choose our own future. I think each one of us around the world — it doesn’t matter where you live — you should be sensitive to the fight of Nasrin. We all have to come together and continue putting pressure on the Iranian government to free her. She needs us now to rally around her, to carry the message of freedom of speech, freedom for all, to be at the center of our concerns day in and day out. That’s why I am standing side by side with Nasrin.
Ahrens and Flaherty are Tony Award winners who have worked on “Once on This Island” and “Ragtime.” As they explain of the song: “We saw an early rough cut of the film and read some of Nasrin’s letters, written from prison to her children. We were deeply moved by Nasrin’s courageous life story and her love for her family. This immediately inspired our song, ‘How Can I Tell You?’ As sung by four-time Grammy winner and activist Angélique Kidjo, the song takes on the power of women around the world who witness and experience injustice and demand to be heard.”
“Nasrin,” which streams on-demand beginning Jan. 26, is narrated by Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and was secretly filmed in Iran by women and men who risked arrest to make the doc. The film is directed, produced and written by Jeff Kaufman and produced by Marcia Ross. The powerful project features Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and journalist Ann Curry.
Watch the video for “How Can I Tell You” below: