Tehran's Hollywood tit-for-tat: Iran to shoot a movie to strike against 'ahistoric' Argo

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Published time: January 12, 2013 09:06
Edited time: January 12, 2013 13:06

Iran has promised to create a film offering its own version of the events described in the Oscar-nominated political thriller Argo, based on the true story of a CIA operation to rescue six US diplomats from Tehran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

­Iranian director Ataollah Salmanian told MNA news agency that his film is set to be entitled The General Staff, and produced by the state-affiliated Arts Bureau. The Iranian government is planning to finance the movie.

"The film, which will be a big production, should be an appropriate response to the ahistoric film Argo," the director was quoted as saying.

"The movie is about the 20 American hostages who were delivered to the United States by the revolutionaries," Salmanian added.

Affleck's thriller is banned in Iran, where the official establishment hailed the US Argo as "anti-Iranian" after its US premiere in October. The country's minister of culture and Islamic guidance has described it as "an offensive act" motivated by "evil intentions", The Guardian reported.

According to the Iranian director, his film will be based on eyewitness accounts of the controversial events. Shooting is scheduled to begin next year.

Argo directed by Ben Affleck (image from kinopoisk.ru)

­Meanwhile Argo, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Earlier this week the film's director won best director and his latest film was named best picture at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

Criticized for alleged historical flaws, it depicts six American diplomats forced to hide in the Canadian ambassador's home in the wake of the Islamic revolution, after Iranians stormed the US embassy, taking 52 Americans hostage. A CIA operation succeeds in smuggling them out of revolutionary Iran after convincing local authorities that they are Canadian filmmakers shooting a movie.

Argo directed by Ben Affleck (image from kinopoisk.ru)

­Last year the Academy awarded an Oscar to A Separation, Iran's entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The family drama from Asghar Farhadi became the first Iranian film to win an Oscar. "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."