Why Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi Fled Iran

YEAH, I ALWAYS PREFER TO SAY MY PERSONAL INTIMATE THINGS WE DO.

SEX TAPE.

I WAS 25.

I HAD A SERIES AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT SERIES, THIS TAPE SOMEHOW LINKED AND AFTER A YEAR WE FOUND WHO STOLE IT FROM US, FROM ME AND MY EX-BOYFRIEND OF THAT TIME.

AND AS AN ACTRESS, I WAS SOMEHOW WELL-KNOWN AND THEN SOMEHOW I HAVE TO SAY I WAS THE FACE OF NATIONAL TV.

I COULDN'T STAND IT AND RIGHT AFTER THEY STARTED TO INTERROGATE ME EVERY DAY, IT TOOK SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS AND THEY WANTED -- THE GOVERNMENT WANTED SOMEHOW TO SHOW ME AS A BAD PERSON THAT PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED THIS KIND OF, AS YOU SAY, SEX TAPE AND THEY JUST CREATED A THE SENTENCE I COULD HAVE IS PRISON, LASHES, BAN OF WORKING.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE IRAN.

I WANTED TO STAY AND DEFEND MYSELF BUT AT SOME POINT I HAD TO DENY AND SAY THIS IS NOT ME OR I COULDN'T DEFEND MYSELF.

I COULDN'T REALLY SAVE MY LIFE.

I COULD GET THIS SENTENCE.

THAT WAS A HARD TIME.

I HAD TO ACT.

I HAD TO LIE.

THIS IS ALSO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE IN IRAN BECAUSE WE LEARN -- YOU LEARN FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD HOW TO LIE.

THAT'S WHY I THINK WE'RE ALL ACTORS, WE'RE ALL GOOD ABOUT TO -- ACTORS.

80 MILLION ACTORS.

SOMETIMES I THINK THAT'S MY BIGGEST ROLE EVER.

I JUST MANAGED TO LIE EVERY DAY AND SAVED MY LIFE BY JUST LEAVING THAT COUNTRY IN THE MORNING.

YOU ARE ABOUT TO GO ON TRIAL.

I FIND NOBODY SUPPORT ME.

NOBODY WAS WITH ME.

MY COLLEAGUES, MY FRIENDS.

I HAD ONLY FIVE, SIX, CLOSE FRIENDS WITH ME AND, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIETY WAS EVERYONE WAS SELLING THIS TAPE, THIS CITY IN THE STREET AND EVERYONE WAS WATCHING IT.

AND AT SOME POINT I KNEW I WAS LOSING TIME AND DIDN'T GIVE UP.