4.2 (10,590 ratings) Try for $0.00. The entire episode at the bazaar was fictional. She was angry enough now, he said, that she might turn us in to the local revolutionary committee, or komiteh. Taylor's wife, Pat, said Ken died Thursday after. The primary historical error in the story is the focus on the CIA and the minimization of the role played by the Canadian government in the rescue. The films biggest shock? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The boat sinks! It's time to move on. The Arab-terrorists-chasing-planes-waving-guns thing was over the top even for them, tho). On the other hand, actress Sheila Vand, who plays an Iranian housekeeper in the film, told CBS Radio News that her role in "Argo" helps chip away at stereotypes for Middle Eastern characters. The story of Ben Affleck's "Argo" concerns the real-life rescue of six fugitive American embassy employees from Ayatollah "Salman Rushdie Fatwa" Khomeini's Iran in 1980. But we needed to sever all links to the former American community, and we did not tell him where we were going. It was hard saying goodbye to Sam. Brutal. Any time is a tricky time to make a film about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, but at this particular moment, the stakes are as high as ever. It really *did* work! Jack Kirby: Eric Scott Cooper . Because while all of the hostages are eventually brought home, and yay rah-rah America, theres Sahar still out there, displaced, walking into a war that will be perpetuated by the very people she chose to shelter. The Canadians were brave. It was clear the organization and energy was focused on the Hollywood option. Finally, he asks here how long the guests have been staying with the ambassador. Now, lets not pretend this film doesnt have Issues. While he no longer appears on television or at major public events, all reports and indications suggest that is he safe and healthy and simply living his life in peace. Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the bizarre story of how in 1980 the CIA - with Canadian help - sprang a group of Americans from Iran after they escaped a US embassy overrun by protestors. Sheardown died on Dec. 30, and his wife, Zena, called the movie disappointing. When she keeps the secret of the ambassadors houseguests despite very good reasons to give them up, I thought for sure she was going to get handed a passport and sent to Canada and safety. We had asked Taylor in early January to tell Washington we wanted out. Tony Mendez, the former CIA officer who rescued six American diplomats from revolutionary Iran in 1980, died Saturday. Parenting Points I was curious to note the similarities and differences to my own situation and, perhaps most important, to tease out the perspective that, in portraying the historic events that set the stage for U.S.-Iranian relations for the next 30-plus years, Affleck could not help but present. I went to see Ben Afflecks new film Argo as soon as it hit the theaters last week. You likely won't be supervised 24/7, so you'll have to go out and do your best even when no one's watching. All opinions are acceptable. authorities. See also Assignments, Projects, and Activities for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction. One countrys freedom fighter is anothers terrorist. Her plan, for now, she said, is to continue auditioning and creating her own work. (Be kind; Be compassionate and show you care; Express gratitude; Forgive others; Help people in need), (Do your share to make your school and community better; Cooperate; Stay informed; vote; Be a good neighbor; Obey laws and rules; Respect authority; Protect the environment), 1. the strategic importance of Iran to the West during WWII and after; the history of U.S. intervention in Iran during the 1950s leading to the installation of the Shaw as the ruler of the country; the role of the Cold War in shaping U.S. policy toward Iran; the rule of the Shaw of Iran, its benefits and costs to the people of Iran; the structure of the government of Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979; the 1979-1981 U.S./Iranian hostage crisis; how the U.S. and Iran came to cooperate in limited ways after the hostage crisis, including the Iran-Contra scandal; and. Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the bizarre story of how in 1980 the CIA - with Canadian help - sprang a group of Americans from Iran after they escaped a US embassy overrun by protestors. In the other, I think we were meant to be teachers looking for employment at an international school. If we had a Hispanic guy play, say, Lincoln, can you imagine the shitstorm people would raise? The voice-over at the beginning of the film, which outlines the nature of the U.S./Iran conflict, serves to provide background information for the story. The British and New Zealand diplomats in Iran were also helpful. By this time we had stopped trusting the foreign ministrythere was no longer even a pretense of structured government in Iran, and we were concerned someone at the ministry might try to score some points by turning us over to the people holding the embassy. Argo already had more characters than a typical thriller, and adding the Sheardowns would not have enhanced the drama. As the climax approaches, a suspicious revolutionary intelligence officer drives up to the ambassadors house and questions Sahar through the gate, very politely. Susie and Sid share a . Continue Learning about Movies & Television. Affleck's thriller is widely expected to win the best-picture trophy. She just got thrown from one shitty situation created by American foreign policy into yet another shitty situation perpetuated by American foreign policy. They know that six American are missing. The film ends with Sahars passport being stamped as a guard welcomes her to the Republic of Iraq. And so it was hard, sitting at the swanky Los Angeles premiere the other day, not to see John in the movie. Our primary characters are all men, and we focus heavily on the arcs for the mens stories Mendezs wife doesnt even get any lines- and Sahar, oh Sahar! They got trapped in the country for another five years.. Some students will decide that the historical overview lends support to the Iranian revolution; others will feel that it explains but does not excuse or lend support to the violent overthrow of the Shaw. what type of danger zone is needed for this exercise. September 24, 2012, 12:14 AM. Carter also called "Argo" a complete distortion of what happened when he accepted an honorary degree from Queen's University in Canada in November. 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"I saw the movie Argo recently and I was taken aback by its distortion of what happened because almost everything that was heroic, or courageous or innovative was done by Canada and not the United States," Carter said. 2. For me, this young womans character represents the courage shown by ordinary people when they simply do the right thing, despite the consequences. The author, Mark Lijek, stands second from right. I thought it was much higher. Don't ask me to clean your five-bedroom house and then say you need it done in two hours. There's nothing much right from Day 1 I could do about the movie. She is an amalgamation(fictional representation) of several Argo has been showered with honors, topped by a best-picture Oscar at the Academy Awards. Before Titus, Captain Holt, Mitchell, Cam, Will, Jack, and Ellen, there was Coco the gay houseboy that served saucy one-liners and cheesecake in seven . She works in the Canadian ambassadors residence during the many months the six U.S. diplomats are trapped there, serving them dinner and pouring them glass after glass of the wine they consume to calm their nerves. This is third in a series of six stories examining the oil spill in 1976 of tanker Argo Merchant resulting in the creation of the Office of Response and Restoration.. Dec. 14, 2016 -- When the Argo Merchant ran aground on Nantucket Shoals off Massachusetts early on Dec. 15, 1976, and spilled nearly 8 million gallons of heavy fuel oil, it became the worst marine oil spill the United States had . Originally, Vand had planned to visit Iran with her parents after the shoot, but the Iranian on-set coordinator told her to get the idea out of her head. Make sure you give me enough time to clean everything properly . The icon's housekeeper, Eunice Murray, allegedly discovered her naked body surrounded by empty pill bottles. The Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor, hid them in his home until they were smuggled out of the country 79 days after the takeover of the embassy by Iranian militants. Lastly, the plan allowed the six of us to travel as a group, and support each other. A housekeeper can help you keep track of a busy schedule, make sure the kids have done their homework, run errands, and prepare delicious, home-cooked meals for the whole family each night. Roman Haller owes his life to a 20-year-old housekeeper. Furthermore, our presence was becoming an impediment to a possible negotiated hostage releasebecause if somehow there had been a breakthrough in the negotiations, the United States would have had to acknowledge our existence and ask us to be released, too. What elements in the film create the suspense that keeps viewers on edge even though they know the outcome of the story? The original postscript of the movie said that Taylor received 112 citations and awards for his work in freeing the hostages and suggested Taylor didn't deserve them because the movie ends with the CIA deciding to let Canada have the credit for helping the Americans escape. And a few days later, Sam got into a screaming fight with the housekeeper, who was also Thai. We other three remained with the Sheardowns. Nothing illustrated this better than Sahar, the housekeeper for the Canadian ambassador, who was the only Iranian we got to know at all. Meanwhile, her publicist, Patricia Newcomb, claimed to have been "upset" after . There was no call by a Revolutionary Guard to Hollywood (although an office had been set up and the call would have been answered) and there was no chase of the plane by gun toting revolutionaries on the tarmac. When Bob called him, Johns immediate response was Why didnt you call sooner? Bob told him there were five of us. What is housekeeping? But Ken Taylor who said he feels slighted by the movie because it makes Canada look like a meek observer to CIA heroics in the rescue of six U.S. Embassy staff members caught in the crisis is not expecting it. There is no one correct answer. At the end of the viewing I went to, the audience burst into a loud round of applause. I figured it was just a good excuse for the media to fuel itself up for war with Iran (because we dont have enough wars! But those applause made me wonder how many people would actually remember Sahar. It takes attention away from more important stories including: (1) the American intervention in Iranian affairs which led to the brutal and repressive 25 year reign of the Shaw, an intervention that continues to be a major factor in the long-lasting hatred of the U.S. by many people in Iran; and (2) the plight of the 52 American diplomats who were held hostage and sometimes tortured for 444 days after the embassy take-over. Benefits of the Movie Taylor's wife, Pat, told The Associated. I told my captors the same thing many, many times. I was incredibly shocked they did this. How had I missed this story in all my reading about Iran? In fact, after getting that opening about the history of the U.S.s involvement in Iranian politics, I remained even more astounded that anyone came home at all. TWM offers the following worksheets to keep students minds on the movie and direct them to the lessons that can be learned from the film. Bob, the only one in our group with money, offered some to Sam. Our living arrangements were comfortable. I wish I could say it didnt shock me, but Hollywood can be so saccharin that I was prepared for the oh those crazy Arab people handwave. Airport security guards stop the Americans in the film, leading to a tense and terrific scene in which one of the Americans makes the risky decision to speak Farsi with the guards, a daring move . When I found out itd only been declassified in the 90s, I felt a little better about my ignorance, but only just. By: Natalie Barelli. On Nov. 4, 1979, when the American Embassy was overtaken, we did not stroll directly to the Canadian ambassadors residence. See also Discussion Questions for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction. That convinces the intelligence officer the group of six are not the escaped American diplomats and he goes away satisfied. What will you say or suggest or what will you do if you see hundred of paper floating on the river? Lester's Housekeeper: Michael Parks . The Golden Girls. They said it was treated as routine on both ends both by the people who gave them the orders and by the Iranians and Iraqis who signed for the weapons on the other end. By the ninth and final episode of Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, there are some things that have been made clear. 2013-09-08 02:15:26. But those two seemed like throwaways, and Tony did not try too hard to sell us on them. I still expected this to be a bit of a propaganda film, full of crazy evil terrorists and noble Americas. Immigration chief Bob Anders (played by Tate Donovan in Argo) suggested we go instead to his nearby apartment. The other was Bobs Canadian counterpart, John Sheardown. In the end, it wasnt a dramatic rescue, but the no-less-incredible maneuvers of international diplomacy that led to my release, as well as that of my companions. He said CIA agent Tony Mendez, played by Affleck in the film, was only in Iran for a day and a half. Sahar ends the movie heading into Iraq. Richard Cartwright/CBS. For all the good it does her. For starters, "Argo" is centered around real events and people. In the discussion, note that all of these except perhaps for the first two are fictional. There's no dispute that it is historically inaccurate and ignores a larger tragedy to focus on a tiny sliver of success associated with a humiliating chapter in the nation's history. The 66 other diplomats were subsequently held hostage for 444 days, while these lucky six made it to the residence of the Canadian ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, where they secretly lived for 79 days before they were effectively rescued with the help of the CIA, using the most unlikely cover story of being in Iran to scout out the location for a Canadian film project. The discussion should include criticisms of the film as historical fiction if the audience takes it to be the definitive story of the hostage crisis because it focuses on the rescue of six diplomats taking the focus away from more important issues such as the reason for Iranian hostility to the U.S. and the plight of the 52 hostages held at the embassy. The "Canadian Caper" was the joint covert rescue by the Canadian government and the CIA of six American diplomats who had evaded capture during the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, after the Iranian Revolution, when Islamist students took most of the American embassy personnel hostage, demanding the return of the US-backed Shah for trial. I enjoyed how it handled the ineptitude of the CIA. Taylor said it was Sheardown who took the first call from the American diplomats who had evaded capture when Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in November 1979, and agreed right away to take the Americans in. Susie Jasinski She was Father Brown's part-time housekeeper, who lived in a nearby post-World War II Polish resettlement camp. Why does everyone hate Americans? The people in this house are all friends of Iran, she continues, thereby saving their lives. Describe some of the risks and benefits of engineering regime change in other countries. The book, along with Bearman's article in Wired, served as the source material for "Argo," which won the Oscar for best picture. (If students are assigned to report on the accuracy of the film, have them read, before they see the movie, Joshua Bermans WIRED article entitled How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran or Mr. Mendez book, Argo How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History.) current relations between the Iranian government and the West, including the Iranian nuclear weapons program and Western sanctions. If it were suddenly occupied, the komiteh would definitely notice. But the 78-year-old Taylor added that given what's happened in the last few months, "I'm not necessarily anticipating anything.". Taylor kept the Americans hidden at his residence and the home of his deputy, John Sheardown, in Tehran and facilitated their escape by arranging plane tickets and persuading the Ottawa government to issue fake passports. It wasnt until I looked this up on Wikipedia and saw that it was based on a true story that I realized I had to see the film. The. 4. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The studio had a limo pick up the couple in Anacortes, flew . Her appearance is so brief and unnoted that I dont even remember if we learn her name. Vand also narrates the first few minutes ofArgo, which recap the events that led up to the Iran hostage crisis. . The sheer audacity of the idea knocked the breath out of me. The Housekeeper: A twisted psychological thriller - Kindle edition by Barelli, Natalie. Presenting centuries of Iranian history in two minutes is of course an impossible task, and the result is grossly oversimplified and ultimately falls short of providing the viewer with much-needed context for the events about to unfold. We went. My friends are tired of that. "And the fact that we got them out with some help from the CIA then that's where the story loses itself. Without his enthusiastic welcome we might have tried to survive on our own a few more days. With careful scaffolding, the film can also be a platform from which students can explore lessons about the risks of causing regime change in other countries and U.S./Iranian relations since WWII. He turned it down. A Twisted Psychological Thriller. But knowing that this is what sold the cover story to the houseguests in the first place. I figured it was just a good excuse for the media to fuel itself up for Argo, and the Inconvenient Truth of Sahar Read More He has been honored elsewhere, written about in books by myself, Tony Mendez, and the historian Robert Wright. Even so, we knew that both the foreign ministry and our embassy had records of houses leased by U.S. employees. I left the theater sweatingjust as when I exited the airport bus to board a Swissair flight out of Tehran in January of 1980, one of the six Americans who were rescued by Tony Mendez, the CIA employee Affleck plays. This house was on a corner and hugged the sidewalk on two sides. But give Argo its due. The housekeeper is in deep trouble should she not be able to flee to Iraq, a feat she barely accomplishes. But the movie is more substantially interested in the nature . But this film knew what it was about, and had a good handle on the complexity of the situation. AGE:Age: 14+; MPAA Rating R for language and some violent images; Drama; 2012; 120 minutes; Color. People are more forgiving when youre 26 than when youre 36, so now is the time to jump off that cliff. However, the core . However, certainly the diplomats trying to get out of Tehran were nervous and tense. As for finding more studio film and television roles, Vand said she didnt want to guess whatArgomight bring. During the 410 days that I was held hostage in Iran, the most common escape scenario I played in my head involved the door of my cell bursting open in the dead of night to reveal a group of heavily armed men who, with my now-husband Shane Bauer and friend Josh Fattal in tow, would lead us to a helicopter waiting nearby to fly us to safety. It could be said that the incidents used to build tension were essentially truthful, whether they happened or not. It just depends on what side of history youre sitting on. I consider him a hero. What is ninety-nine per cent of two hundred? / CBS/AP. In the alternative, students can introduce the film themselves. Speaking fluent Thai to his part-time cook and housekeeper, nicknamed Sam, the deputy chief of mission in Iran, Vic Tomseth, arranged a transfer from the Brits to the house of another of Sams employers, who was already a hostage. 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