Meet the ordinary Iranians on a regular 500 km,12-hour bus trip to Gorgan, the capital of the province of Golestan in north eastern Iran. Ali and his old bus are known all over the north of the country. He transports both, his passengers and their stories… who are as varied as the landscapes we’ll be crossing…

Our journey takes us along parts of the ancient Silk Road, through ancient legends and harsh realities, through past and present, steppes and mountains – the most famous of which is Mount Damavand, a dormant volcano and highest peak in Iran with a special place in the Persian mythology and folklore. Just like in the past, travellers from Iran’s different ethnic groups in Iran - such as the Mazandarani people, Turkmen, Armenian or Afghan - meet and interconnect. All of them have boarded Ali’s red bus for a different purpose and have their own story to tell while we travel through ancient lands and stunning landscapes.