Page 48 - Shahrvand BC No. 1214
P. 48
English Section 48
Why Argo is hard for Iranians to watch
Ben Affleck's film may depict a barely recognisable Iran but it is a sharp reminder of how young revolutionaries failed their country
Saeed Kamali Dehghan conversation with an Iranian 1391 رذآ3 جمعه- 1214 شماره/ سال متسیب
www.guardian.co.uk official. Salam means hello in
Persian, not goodbye. For years at school I was taught happened more than 30 years ago. In touch with Iranian diversity
People usually go to the cinema for Minor mistakes aside, the film that the hostage-taking of American Affleck's film may depict an
entertainment, especially when it takes a black and white view diplomats was an act of resistance, Iran I hardly recognise but it is
comes to Hollywood movies, but towards Iranians, like many heroism on behalf of revolutionaries a bitter reminder of how young
when I went to watch Ben Affleck's other western films about Iran. showing their anger at US revolutionaries and their leaders
Argo last week I knew beforehand It portrays them as ugly, poor, interference in Iran's internal affairs. failed their country, putting Iran in a
that it was going to be a rather painful strictly religious, fanatical Argo suddenly wipes out all that crisis that has had consequences for
experience. Temptation outweighed and ignorant – almost in line revolutionary rhetoric and reminds its people to this day.
the agony, I'm afraid. with the young revolutionaries me of the other side of the story. In reaction to the film, some of the
I had prepared myself. "It's a film, behind the hostage-taking at It shows the yellow ribbons in hostage-takers have defended what
not a documentary," I had tried to the US embassy in Tehran after the streets of Washington DC, the happened after 1979. But Argo
remember. But the claim that it the 1979 Islamic revolution, anguish and pain caused by the should make them reflect and at least
was "based on a true story" created which the film is about. The incident, and it makes me regret what face up to the reality.
greater expectations in me. I didn't try only nice Iranian in the film
to fact-check – although others have is the Canadian ambassador's
done with some disappointment – but maid.
other things caught my attention. The whole experience is like
First, it was Affleck's desperate asking an Iranian who has
attempt to make a film set in Iran never been to the US to make
without having been either there in a film (let's say in Cuba) about
person or able to shoot within its the Columbine high school
borders. Having chosen to film in massacre. You'll probably end
Turkey instead, Affleck has done his up watching a film in which
best – well, the best you can when all Americans are crazy, have
making a film about Iran by shooting a gun at home and are ready to
in a neighbouring country. shoot their classmates.
To be honest, the locations are not too As I was leaving the cinema with my
bad. Buildings are similar to those in Iranian friend (and I assume we were
Iran, the houses are not that different, the only Iranians in the room), we
the bazaar is quite like the actual were cautious not to speak Persian
shopping centre in south Tehran. too loud to be noticed. "Oh my God,
Banners, placards and signs are in they're Iranians," we assumed others
Persian and many characters actually would say, as if we were from Mars.
speak the language, although some But what troubles me most is how
with accents. the film reminds me of Iran's history,
There are silly mistakes, however. of how a group of my countrymen
In one scene, for example, the betrayed Iran, took a group of people
protagonist Tony Mendez (Affleck) hostage and brought pain and trauma
says "salam" at the end of his to another country for 444 days.
It’s Not War! It’s Murder! Vol. 20 / No. 1214 - Friday, Nov. 23, 2012
Here is Noam Chomsky’s to attack a population that has
no air force, no air defense, no
statement on Israel’s latest navy, no heavy weapons, no
artillery units, no mechanized
aggression in Gaza: armor, no command in control,
no army… and calls it a war. It
The incursion and bombardment is not a war, it is murder.
When Israelis in the occupied
of Gaza is not about destroying territories now claim that they
have to defend themselves, they
Hamas. It is not about stopping are defending themselves in the
sense that any military occupier
rocket fire into Israel, it is not has to defend itself against the
population they are crushing.
about achieving peace. You can’t defend yourself when
you’re militarily occupying
The Israeli decision to rain someone else’s land. That’s not
defense. Call it what you like,
death and destruction on Gaza, it’s not defense.
to use lethal weapons of the http://news.infoshop.org
modern battlefield on a largely
defenseless civilian population,
is the final phase in a decades-
long campaign to ethnically-
cleanse Palestinians.
Israel uses sophisticated attack
jets and naval vessels to bomb
densely-crowded refugee
camps, schools, apartment 48
blocks, mosques, and slums
Why Argo is hard for Iranians to watch
Ben Affleck's film may depict a barely recognisable Iran but it is a sharp reminder of how young revolutionaries failed their country
Saeed Kamali Dehghan conversation with an Iranian 1391 رذآ3 جمعه- 1214 شماره/ سال متسیب
www.guardian.co.uk official. Salam means hello in
Persian, not goodbye. For years at school I was taught happened more than 30 years ago. In touch with Iranian diversity
People usually go to the cinema for Minor mistakes aside, the film that the hostage-taking of American Affleck's film may depict an
entertainment, especially when it takes a black and white view diplomats was an act of resistance, Iran I hardly recognise but it is
comes to Hollywood movies, but towards Iranians, like many heroism on behalf of revolutionaries a bitter reminder of how young
when I went to watch Ben Affleck's other western films about Iran. showing their anger at US revolutionaries and their leaders
Argo last week I knew beforehand It portrays them as ugly, poor, interference in Iran's internal affairs. failed their country, putting Iran in a
that it was going to be a rather painful strictly religious, fanatical Argo suddenly wipes out all that crisis that has had consequences for
experience. Temptation outweighed and ignorant – almost in line revolutionary rhetoric and reminds its people to this day.
the agony, I'm afraid. with the young revolutionaries me of the other side of the story. In reaction to the film, some of the
I had prepared myself. "It's a film, behind the hostage-taking at It shows the yellow ribbons in hostage-takers have defended what
not a documentary," I had tried to the US embassy in Tehran after the streets of Washington DC, the happened after 1979. But Argo
remember. But the claim that it the 1979 Islamic revolution, anguish and pain caused by the should make them reflect and at least
was "based on a true story" created which the film is about. The incident, and it makes me regret what face up to the reality.
greater expectations in me. I didn't try only nice Iranian in the film
to fact-check – although others have is the Canadian ambassador's
done with some disappointment – but maid.
other things caught my attention. The whole experience is like
First, it was Affleck's desperate asking an Iranian who has
attempt to make a film set in Iran never been to the US to make
without having been either there in a film (let's say in Cuba) about
person or able to shoot within its the Columbine high school
borders. Having chosen to film in massacre. You'll probably end
Turkey instead, Affleck has done his up watching a film in which
best – well, the best you can when all Americans are crazy, have
making a film about Iran by shooting a gun at home and are ready to
in a neighbouring country. shoot their classmates.
To be honest, the locations are not too As I was leaving the cinema with my
bad. Buildings are similar to those in Iranian friend (and I assume we were
Iran, the houses are not that different, the only Iranians in the room), we
the bazaar is quite like the actual were cautious not to speak Persian
shopping centre in south Tehran. too loud to be noticed. "Oh my God,
Banners, placards and signs are in they're Iranians," we assumed others
Persian and many characters actually would say, as if we were from Mars.
speak the language, although some But what troubles me most is how
with accents. the film reminds me of Iran's history,
There are silly mistakes, however. of how a group of my countrymen
In one scene, for example, the betrayed Iran, took a group of people
protagonist Tony Mendez (Affleck) hostage and brought pain and trauma
says "salam" at the end of his to another country for 444 days.
It’s Not War! It’s Murder! Vol. 20 / No. 1214 - Friday, Nov. 23, 2012
Here is Noam Chomsky’s to attack a population that has
no air force, no air defense, no
statement on Israel’s latest navy, no heavy weapons, no
artillery units, no mechanized
aggression in Gaza: armor, no command in control,
no army… and calls it a war. It
The incursion and bombardment is not a war, it is murder.
When Israelis in the occupied
of Gaza is not about destroying territories now claim that they
have to defend themselves, they
Hamas. It is not about stopping are defending themselves in the
sense that any military occupier
rocket fire into Israel, it is not has to defend itself against the
population they are crushing.
about achieving peace. You can’t defend yourself when
you’re militarily occupying
The Israeli decision to rain someone else’s land. That’s not
defense. Call it what you like,
death and destruction on Gaza, it’s not defense.
to use lethal weapons of the http://news.infoshop.org
modern battlefield on a largely
defenseless civilian population,
is the final phase in a decades-
long campaign to ethnically-
cleanse Palestinians.
Israel uses sophisticated attack
jets and naval vessels to bomb
densely-crowded refugee
camps, schools, apartment 48
blocks, mosques, and slums
