The Darian family includes dad Mehdi, originally from Iran, and son Nathaniel, eight, who was born deaf and uses sign language to say “love Wales” in the Croeso film. It was shot in real communities across the length and breadth of the country and shows the people of the world just what Wales is all about - our landscapes, landmarks, communities, and cultures, and is designed to create a lasting international legacy for Wales.
The Darians returned to Wales from Dubai, where they were based for 10 years, and now live near the coast in the Vale of Glamorgan. Nathaniel's mother, Siobhan, says: 'Nathaniel loves Wales, he got so angry when the US scored on Monday night. Even though Mehdi is from Iran, he’s also supporting Wales in this World Cup.'
The family also appear in a Visit Wales TV ad after Siobhan contacted Cardiff-based Orchard, the producers of the film when she saw they were looking for a family who use sign language to promote Wales. The ad was well received by hearing impaired charities for including sign language.
Siobhan: 'We love living in Wales, we really do appreciate its diverse beauty after living in such a hot and built-up country like Dubai for so long. I feel Wales is a good place for Nathaniel to grow and be a success as a deaf person.
'I really like the inclusive idea of the films. We use sign language at home as well as spoken language to communicate with Nathaniel.'
The family, which also includes three year-old Noah, also run a support group for children who are deaf and their families in Cardiff and are currently setting up a sign language community-based language school, where pupils will learn about deaf identity and deaf culture.
The Croeso film showcases Wales as an open, progressive nation and top business and tourism destination, highlighting our true Welsh values of warmth, welcome and humour.
