Katayoun Riahi

Katayoun Riahi challenged her audience with a fundamental question: “We look, but do we truly see?” She spoke of the vast gap between the dizzying acceleration of science and technology and the deep-rooted stagnation of culture — a gap she believes is the root cause of many of today’s human, ethical, and environmental crises.

With a candid and bold tone, Riahi put modern civilization under the microscope: from the ancient laws of Hammurabi to the Epic of Gilgamesh, from the so-called heroic plastics to the all-consuming capitalist system. Her message was clear: we live in a modern facade, yet we still make decisions with outdated mental tools.

What is the solution? A return to the teacher who has always been beside us: nature. She suggested that just as science has evolved by modeling itself on nature, culture too can begin a true evolution through conscious emulation of the natural world.

In a thought-provoking manner, Riahi posed a daring question: “If each of us were responsible for our own waste, would we still consume the way we do?” She demonstrated that change begins with individual responsibility — where our choices shape supply, not the other way around. She spoke of shoes never worn, milk cartons that outlast the milk inside them, and waste that lingers like a permanent shadow on the earth.

Finally, looking at cinema and generational shifts, she warned: the new generation no longer wants to be mere spectators — they want to be the heroes of their own stories.

Riahi’s closing words rang like a wake-up call for a generation still capable of change:
Now is the time for awareness, the time of nations. We must see the world, understand it, and this time choose wisely — before it’s too late.