Witness the human cost of U.S. foreign policy through the lens of ordinary Iranians.

Sanctions slam Iran, shattering dreams, but igniting defiance. Follow the story of ordinary lives upended: an activist seeks solace, a widow loses her home, professors clash amidst turmoil, and a businessman fights ruin while his daughter's US dreams crumble. Yet, hardship births resilience and an unlikely hero emerges, creating a lifeline: a mutual aid network. Can they overcome adversity?

Based on the ethnographic research for the book How Sanctions Work, Sanctioned Lives explores the human stories behind the statistics, delving into the ripple effects of sanctions on daily life in Iran. If one of the realities of sanctions is that they are “invisible,” this is an attempt by visual anthropologist, Narges Bajoghli and a team of creatives, to visualize what sanctions do to everyday lives.