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| Alter Argo: Iranian film to tell other side of hostage crisis | Alter Argo: Iranian film to tell other side of hostage crisis |
| (3 months later) | |
| Filmgoers troubled by factual inaccuracies in the hostage thriller Argo are advised to hold fire until The General Staff arrives to set the record straight. Conceived as a "response" to Ben Affleck's Oscar-nominated take on the 1979 hostage crisis, it promises a tale of cowardly US diplomats who are treated with kindness and eventually delivered to safety by their Iranian hosts. Viewers should note that Iran's idea of a happy ending may well differ from Hollywood's. | Filmgoers troubled by factual inaccuracies in the hostage thriller Argo are advised to hold fire until The General Staff arrives to set the record straight. Conceived as a "response" to Ben Affleck's Oscar-nominated take on the 1979 hostage crisis, it promises a tale of cowardly US diplomats who are treated with kindness and eventually delivered to safety by their Iranian hosts. Viewers should note that Iran's idea of a happy ending may well differ from Hollywood's. |
| According to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, The General Staff will be produced by the state-affiliated Arts Bureau and directed by the Tehran-based film-maker Ataollah Salmanian. "The film, which will be a big production, should be an appropriate response to the ahistoric film Argo," the director explained. | According to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, The General Staff will be produced by the state-affiliated Arts Bureau and directed by the Tehran-based film-maker Ataollah Salmanian. "The film, which will be a big production, should be an appropriate response to the ahistoric film Argo," the director explained. |
| Backed by Warner Bros, Argo portrays the behind-the-scenes adventures of six stranded US diplomats gone to ground in the Canadian ambassador's home in the immediate wake of Iran's Islamic revolution. The film has met with glowing reviews and is nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture. | Backed by Warner Bros, Argo portrays the behind-the-scenes adventures of six stranded US diplomats gone to ground in the Canadian ambassador's home in the immediate wake of Iran's Islamic revolution. The film has met with glowing reviews and is nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture. |
| By concentrating on the daring CIA-backed mission to rescue the diplomats, it puts a positive spin on an event that is still widely regarded as a US foreign policy disaster. | By concentrating on the daring CIA-backed mission to rescue the diplomats, it puts a positive spin on an event that is still widely regarded as a US foreign policy disaster. |
| But Argo has faced criticism for its alleged historical inaccuracies and for claiming that British and New Zealand officials initially turned away the US refugees. | But Argo has faced criticism for its alleged historical inaccuracies and for claiming that British and New Zealand officials initially turned away the US refugees. |
| "My immediate reaction on hearing about this was one of outrage," said Sir John Graham, Britain's then ambassador to Iran. "I have since simmered down, but am still very distressed that the film-makers should have got it so wrong." | "My immediate reaction on hearing about this was one of outrage," said Sir John Graham, Britain's then ambassador to Iran. "I have since simmered down, but am still very distressed that the film-makers should have got it so wrong." |
| Affleck's thriller is banned in Iran, where it is officially viewed as "anti-Iranian". Mohammad Hosseini, the country's minister of culture and Islamic guidance, has described it as "an offensive act" motivated by "evil intentions". | Affleck's thriller is banned in Iran, where it is officially viewed as "anti-Iranian". Mohammad Hosseini, the country's minister of culture and Islamic guidance, has described it as "an offensive act" motivated by "evil intentions". |
| It seems safe to assume the authorities will be more approving of The General Staff, which sets out to tackle the same material from the official Iranian perspective. Early evidence suggests that Salmanian's film may opt to ignore the rescue mission altogether in favour of a parallel hostage drama. | It seems safe to assume the authorities will be more approving of The General Staff, which sets out to tackle the same material from the official Iranian perspective. Early evidence suggests that Salmanian's film may opt to ignore the rescue mission altogether in favour of a parallel hostage drama. |
| "The movie … is about the 20 American hostages who were delivered to the United States by the revolutionaries," the director told Mehr. It is thought this refers to the case of the US diplomats who were freed as a humanitarian gesture shortly after the start of the 444-day crisis. | "The movie … is about the 20 American hostages who were delivered to the United States by the revolutionaries," the director told Mehr. It is thought this refers to the case of the US diplomats who were freed as a humanitarian gesture shortly after the start of the 444-day crisis. |
| Salmanian claims he has already written the script, but production on the picture has yet to begin. | Salmanian claims he has already written the script, but production on the picture has yet to begin. |
| Iran scored a victory at last year's Oscar ceremony when its official submission, Asghar Farhadi's acclaimed drama A Separation, won the best foreign language film award. "Many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy," Farhadi said in his acceptance speech. "They are happy because, at a time when talk of war, intimidation and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of Iran is spoken here through her glorious culture." | Iran scored a victory at last year's Oscar ceremony when its official submission, Asghar Farhadi's acclaimed drama A Separation, won the best foreign language film award. "Many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy," Farhadi said in his acceptance speech. "They are happy because, at a time when talk of war, intimidation and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of Iran is spoken here through her glorious culture." |
| It remains to be seen whether Salmanian will have the opportunity to give a similar speech at next year's Academy Awards. | It remains to be seen whether Salmanian will have the opportunity to give a similar speech at next year's Academy Awards. |
| Reimagining other Oscar contenders | Reimagining other Oscar contenders |
| Lincoln – from the South's point of view The life of Abe from a Confederate perspective, Get Lincoln! spins the tale of a rogue president who pitches the nation into senseless civil war and then swans off to catch a show at the theatre. Happily there's a happy ending in store. | Lincoln – from the South's point of view The life of Abe from a Confederate perspective, Get Lincoln! spins the tale of a rogue president who pitches the nation into senseless civil war and then swans off to catch a show at the theatre. Happily there's a happy ending in store. |
| Beasts of the Southern Wild – as retold by the US government When a hurricane breaches the levee outside New Orleans, everyone wades in to help with the rescue effort. Everyone, that is, except the feral scavengers out in the bayou, still letting off fireworks and running amok. Bruce Willis plays the Fema frontman who has to clean up the mess. | Beasts of the Southern Wild – as retold by the US government When a hurricane breaches the levee outside New Orleans, everyone wades in to help with the rescue effort. Everyone, that is, except the feral scavengers out in the bayou, still letting off fireworks and running amok. Bruce Willis plays the Fema frontman who has to clean up the mess. |
| Zero Dark Thirty – remade by al-Qaida It's a Robin Hood tale for the times as our brave, kind-eyed hero evades capture for nine long years, leading his band of merry men right under the nose of the Great Satan. Don't be duped by the ostensibly tragic finale: that dead old man was just an impostor. | Zero Dark Thirty – remade by al-Qaida It's a Robin Hood tale for the times as our brave, kind-eyed hero evades capture for nine long years, leading his band of merry men right under the nose of the Great Satan. Don't be duped by the ostensibly tragic finale: that dead old man was just an impostor. |
| Amour – the daughter's version Spare a thought for the long-suffering daughter of two greedy octogenarians. Georges and Anne are old, selfish and obsolete, hell-bent on squandering the family inheritance. Will no one stop them before they go too far? | Amour – the daughter's version Spare a thought for the long-suffering daughter of two greedy octogenarians. Georges and Anne are old, selfish and obsolete, hell-bent on squandering the family inheritance. Will no one stop them before they go too far? |
| Les Miserables – the anti-musical A plague of singing is at large in France. Its ghastly victims shrill and croon tunelessly from dawn until dusk. Russell Crowe stars as Javert, the handsome lawman called in to exterminate the infected and restore blissful silence to the Paris streets. | Les Miserables – the anti-musical A plague of singing is at large in France. Its ghastly victims shrill and croon tunelessly from dawn until dusk. Russell Crowe stars as Javert, the handsome lawman called in to exterminate the infected and restore blissful silence to the Paris streets. |
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