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. They picked us up on Nov. 10. The British and New Zealand diplomats in Iran were also helpful. How can two fathers and two sons divide three automobiles among themselves with each rec eiving one? What elements in the film create the suspense that keeps viewers on edge even though they know the outcome of the story? The Arab-terrorists-chasing-planes-waving-guns thing was over the top even for them, tho). Written by HomeAdvisor. She smiles and says, Two days, not the five months they have actually been there. As for finding more studio film and television roles, Vand said she didnt want to guess whatArgomight bring. The film ends with Sahars passport being stamped as a guard welcomes her to the Republic of Iraq. Whatever, Hollywood. The backdrop of the tale is the 1979 storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Islamic militants who captured 52 American diplomatic personnel and held them hostage for 444 days. Film Study Worksheet for a Work of Historical Fiction note that discussion questions #s 1 & 2 are derived from this worksheet; and. The possibilities ranged from nothing to seizure of . September 24, 2012, 12:14 AM. Ellen Penketh, whose time as housekeeper at Erddig Hall, north Wales, ended in scandalous circumstances. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Argo, Ben Afflecks new movie about the rescue of six Americans from Iran, is a terrific thriller, even if you know the ending. In the case of Argo, the audience was not the Iranians but the houseguests [the 6 employees of the embassy] themselves. Conclude with a judgment on the credibility of the film in terms of the principals involved. That would make sense, right? A woman hires a housekeeper to care for her aging parentsonly to watch as she takes over their lives in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author called "an ingenious master of domestic suspense" (Samantha M. Bailey). Spoilers: The hostages get away! 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. current relations between the Iranian government and the West, including the Iranian nuclear weapons program and Western sanctions. When I saw the first trailer for Argo, I guffawed at the implausibility of the entire movie. Affleck also brought a certain sadness and melancholy to this role that Ive never seen him display. The film is serving to remind the country of a . Moreover, throughout the 79 days during which the Canadian Ambassador, Ken Taylor, and his wife, Dr. Patricia Taylor, provided shelter to their houseguests, Ambassador Taylor and the Canadian government played the lead role in protecting the hostages. Argo How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History, by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio, Viking, 2012. What are the two applications of bifilar suspension? The entire episode at the bazaar was fictional. There is a close call at the bazaar and at the airport, and the phone call to the supposed studio is nearly missed. Like, isnt it weird that the CIA first trained Osama bin Laden and so its maybe not so heroic when, later, they take him out, since they sort of helped make him in the first place? For the first time since the takeover I believed we were going to get out of Iran. They had gotten married the week before the events that take place in the movie, she told LAWeekly. Write an opinion essay about which group you determine to have been most responsible for the success of the exfiltration plan. 4.2 (10,590 ratings) Try for $0.00. The kitchen was exposed to the front sidewalk. In the end, I have only myself to blame. The role of Sahar is played by Sheila Vand, a young Iranian-American actress. TALKING AND PLAYING WITH MOVIES: AGES 3-8, FILM ADAPTATIONS OF NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, OR PLAYS, FICTION (SOAPS, DRAMAS, AND REALITY/SURVIVAL SHOW). In New York, Vand put herself on tape forArgoand got a callback for a movie widely pegged as an almost certain nominee for next years best picture Oscar. We spent one night at the British residential compound. He was 81. Likely, most folks went home gleefully saying, Argo fuck yourself! and feeling good-hearted about all the heroic missions Americas accomplished that we dont know about. None for the recommended age group, if the lesson plan is followed. Our Canadian hosts kept us confident and comfortable, and the plan hatched by Mendez worked even better than Argo suggests. "I admire Ken very much for his role in rescuing the six houseguests. Wiki User. Kameron Hurley, award-winning author and expert in the future of war and resistance movements, has created eighteen exhilarating tales giving glimpses into . Sept. 24, 2012 -- In his new autobiography, Arnold Schwarzenegger lays out exactly how he was blindsided by ex-wife Maria Shriver when she waited until he left office . We have no idea what happens to her, and we leave the film knowing that those six, lucky Americans will never know who their real hero is. But SF film to smuggle out hostages! 2023 Iran Times - An Independent newspaper. CIA creates SF movie ruse to smuggle people out of Iran? However, certainly the diplomats trying to get out of Tehran were nervous and tense. 3. Who was the primary audience for the Argo cover used in this exfiltration? It was then that we discussed again a call that Bob Anders had made several days before. (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.) Two days, she lies. 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. Ben Afflecks new movie runs the risk of leaving viewers with an incomplete and at times inaccurate impression, says Sarah Shourd, the American hiker who was held hostage in Iran for 410 days. Each day we stayed in Iran added to the risk of capture. For me, this young womans character represents the courage shown by ordinary people when they simply do the right thing, despite the consequences. Filch usually wandered around the school corridors with his cat Mrs Norris, trying to catch students breaking the school rules and complaining about Peeves the Poltergeist. All opinions are acceptable. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. How long have these six Canadians been here? they ask her. (Hint: The primary audience wasnt the Iranians at the airport or anywhere else.). He turned it down. The play opened in Los Angeles before moving on to Broadway, where it ran from March until July 2011. It's got momentum. Teachers can modify the movie worksheets to fit the needs of each class. February 23, 2013 / 5:16 PM Two other high-profile best-picture nominees this year, Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," have also been criticized for their portrayal of some factual issues. In the email, he said the dispute doesn't reflect on Affleck's skills as a director and wished him luck on Sunday. Even so, we knew that both the foreign ministry and our embassy had records of houses leased by U.S. employees. Sitting in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, lost in the excitement of the movie, I didnt miss him any more than someone not familiar with the true story. I have a vivid memory of a relative of mine telling me nonchalantly that they were among the crews that carted weapons over to both Iraq and Iran during the war. This is the side of Iran that Americans need to see, particularly in a film depicting a CIA intervention in Iran. A tip from a housekeeper led police to uncover a large arsenal of weapons at a hotel in downtown Denver about a block from Coors Field, where Major League Baseball 's All-Star Game is set to be . At the end of the film, while the six Americans are popping champagne bottles on the airplane on their way home, their Iranian maid is seen fleeing the country into Iraq. Still, its worth taking a moment to remember those other heroes, who sheltered the six of us for months at great personal riskone of whom, essential to our survival, doesnt appear in the movie at all. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Canadians were brave. 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 . In 2010, Vand helped createSneaky Nietzche, an interactive steampunk-themed musical performance featuring a 40-person ensemble and a full band. When Hollywood failed to come calling, she sidestepped the problem by continuing to pursue the experimental theater shed embraced in college. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Oh, whitewashing. The people in this house are all friends of Iran, she continues, thereby saving their lives. When her mother and father flew out to visit her on set in Istanbul, they told her stories about the history of their relationship that theyd never shared with her before. What is the likely fate of the character Sahar in Argo? 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. He was conceived in the basement of a home in Poland where his parents and 10 other Jews hid out during World War II. Study now. 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. There was no room for us in that scenario. Sixty. The housekeeper in the movie named Sahar (Sheila Vand) is based largely on John Sheardown's housekeeper, a Filipino woman named Lolita, who did not expose the secret about John and his wife's new houseguests, despite knowing the truth. Quote sources, such as Jimmy Carter, and various news outlets that gained access to the story, details of which were made public in 1997. Many of the incidents used to build tension at the bazaar and at the airport did not take place. As we all heard Vice President Joe Biden articulate last week in the debates, the facts matter.. "It would have been nice if the story was told correctly because basically, if the Canadians weren't there to help, who knows what would have happened to those Americans.". I changed a line at the end because the caption at the end was disgraceful. 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. We have no idea what . Sheardown died on Dec. 30, and his wife, Zena, called the movie disappointing. All Creatures Great and Small's housekeeper Mrs. Hall isn't the only one with all the answers. See also Assignments, Projects, and Activities for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction. 1 : one employed to manage the domestic duties involved in maintaining a house 2 : a member of a household who manages the domestic duties of the household She was her father's housekeeper Lucy Maud Montgomery especially : one who keeps house in a specified way was always a good/poor housekeeper John and his wife, who sheltered four of the six Americans, are not represented in the movie. The trip to the airport, through immigration, and onto the plane went without a hitch, except that the plane had needed a minor repair and departure was delayed for an hour. She is an amalgamation(fictional representation) of several It was hard saying goodbye to Sam. We never made it there, because a demonstration blocked the way. 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. While the attackers were seizing the main building, we were told to walk to the British embassy compound, 20 minutes away. He deserves it. If Iran had supported the overthrowing of our democratically elected leader, wed be pretty pissed off at them, too. Etc. What is ninety-nine per cent of two hundred? I enjoyed how it handled the ineptitude of the CIA. South Carolina state police on Tuesday released the 911 call, from 2018, of Maggie reporting that her family's housekeeper had fallen and was badly hurt. Argus Filch was a Squib and the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since around 1973. But give Argo its due. Categories. Antonio Mendez, the CIA officer who planned the operation and escorted the houseguests to freedom wrote: The first rule in any deception operation is to understand who your audience is. Here was the heroic story American needed right now, and I felt it too the idea that America was, in fact, still heroic and clever, even if it had to be heroic and clever because it was stupid and invasive in the first place. Nina / Serksi the Gallactic Witch: Tom Lenk . In 1992, after Mrs Norris was petrified by Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk, Filch was furious; however, his cat was . The other was Bobs Canadian counterpart, John Sheardown. Moral-Ethical Emphasis, Assignments and Projects "I spoke to him recently when he asked me to narrate a documentary he is prominently featured in and yet he didn't mention any lingering concerns. CIA creates SF movie ruse to smuggle people out of Iran? Mendez deserves praise as well, and earned all the awards he received from the CIA. ", Carter appeared on CNN on Thursday night and said "90 percent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian," but the film "gives almost full credit to the American CIA.". As time permits, topics can include the following: Either through direct instruction or by way of a report from students, describe for the class what is accurate and inaccurate about the movie. As you may know by now, Mendez cooked up a fake movie production and suggested we pose as location scouts considering Iran for our film. Taylor told the AP on Saturday that he would take the "high road" upon hearing what Affleck said in the statement. Note: The film focuses on the good fortune of six American diplomats who escaped the 1979 take-over of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by Iranian militants. Age: 14+; MPAA Rating R for language and some violent images; Film Study Worksheet for a Work of Historical Fiction, Discussion Questions for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction, Discussion Questions Relating to Ethical Issues, Assignments, Projects, and Activities for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction, How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran. We can only assume that Maid Marian lived happily ever Hood. She was angry enough now, he said, that she might turn us in to the local revolutionary committee, or komiteh. And so it was hard, sitting at the swanky Los Angeles premiere the other day, not to see John in the movie. In my opinion, despite its big Hollywood stars and breathtaking cinematography, the historic lesson would be all but lost if it werent for the films most minor and most easily overlooked character: the Iranian maid. / CBS/AP. 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. 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. 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. 3. Among the many good wishes for newlyweds Katherine Schwarzenegger and A-lister Chris Pratt online, one message stood out the most.. Joseph Baena the love child of Katherine's father, Arnold . I think Jimmy Carter has it about right, it was 90 percent Canada, 10 percent the CIA.". 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. There is no one correct answer. Sooner or later someone would check those records and go lookingwe couldnt stay in this new house for good. Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change? What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? In the other, I think we were meant to be teachers looking for employment at an international school. People are more forgiving when youre 26 than when youre 36, so now is the time to jump off that cliff. after. Benefits of the Movie What has happened to rate of alcohol-related fatal traffic crashes among drivers ages 16-20 over the laste 20 years? Early in the ordeal, Bob had telephoned two friends. This house was on a corner and hugged the sidewalk on two sides. [Students who want to go further can read the book written by Tony Mendez, the CIA spymaster who planned and carried out the operation, Argo How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History.]. 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. [8] Boost your self-discipline by keeping all of your devices out of sight. Published on March 3, 2017 09:49 PM. 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. See questions on the Film Study Worksheet for a Work of Historical Fiction (discussion questions #s 1 & 2 are derived from this worksheet). Bob called John. We know that Hannah Grose, the housekeeper . Sam and the housekeeper got into a screaming fight and she'd stormed off. I agreed to do it and I look forward to seeing Ken at the recording.". It is the one unbiased record to survive . My wife Cora as well as Joe and Kathy Stafford, two other embassy employees, followed his lead. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. What is housekeeping? So for days we had put off accepting Johns offer. 1. Menu. Without his enthusiastic welcome we might have tried to survive on our own a few more days. Bikes! 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. Make sure that your children know that this is not the major story of U.S. Iranian relations or the hostage crisis. During the next week we changed locations five times. If it were suddenly occupied, the komiteh would definitely notice. In the discussion, note that all of these except perhaps for the first two are fictional. When Bob called him, Johns immediate response was Why didnt you call sooner? Bob told him there were five of us. 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 . SUBJECTS U.S./1945 1991 & Iran The Iran Hostage Crisis; MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS Caring & Citizenship. Anyone whos ever been captured knows the punishing fantasy of rescue. And in fact, its often our own actions that determine who takes up arms and who doesnt. In light of my many conversations as well as a change to an end card that Ken requested I am surprised that Ken continues to take issue with the film," Affleck said in the statement. Discussion Questions On February 26, 2018, the 57-year-old woman died "as a result of injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident" in a Hampton County home belonging to the family. 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. But for me, Argo is also a peek into a nightmarish alternate universe of how things might have been. She called that aspect of her role particularly meaningfulinterspersed with archival footage and illustrations, these moments detail a rising enmity between the US and Iran. Its only going to get scarier.. The stairway up to the bedrooms had a tall glass wall. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in theater and directing in 2007. That includes cleaning and tidying, but also preparing meals, grocery shopping, and even paying the bills. She just got thrown from one shitty situation created by American foreign policy into yet another shitty situation perpetuated by American foreign policy. 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. He put his life in danger, too. It was manned by Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, Jason Grace, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Percy Jackson, and Annabeth Chase. When I found out itd only been declassified in the 90s, I felt a little better about my ignorance, but only just. Fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the new take on the classic housekeeper. . Fortunately, these are questions I never had to answer. Theyre capable of so much more., Of her role in that crucial nail-biting scene, Vand says, She [Sahar] has a moment of decision, and, for me, its really important that this scene exists. 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. He said it was news to him that Affleck had agreed to narrate the documentary and looked forward to working on it with him. But, yanno, Hollywood needs its suspense. 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. We needed to stay invisible; she helped ensure that we did. Research Internet information focused on the role played by the Canadian government in sheltering the American diplomats and the fact that in the film, the CIA took most of the credit for the operation. He had a key. Have students prepare and deliver, individually or in groups, five-minute class presentations on relevant topics. In what way did this information influence your attitude toward both the revolutionaries and the diplomats? Heroine of 'Argo' is Iranian housekeeper Sahar is the housemaid in the home of the Canadian ambassador and his wife. Gloria Satterfield, Murdaugh's longtime housekeeper, died after an alleged trip-and-fall accident in the home of the Murdaughs, where she was viewed as part of the family, reports the Daily . We went. It must be starkly clear what the difference is between saving Americans lives and the all too real prospect of military intervention in this country, which would no doubt result in the death of innocent Iranians. The films biggest shock? 6. I told my captors the same thing many, many times. Could I have survived three months under the stressful conditions depicted in the film? The Argo II is a flying Greek trireme (that could also sail if the aerial controls are damaged) built by the Hephaestus' Cabin for the journey of the seven demigods of the Prophecy of Seven to Greece. But knowing that this is what sold the cover story to the houseguests in the first place. I'm the one who let her in. situation to their well-being and safety, yet continued to respond Meeting with President Carter. For Vand, who had never traveled to the Middle East, shootingArgoturned out to be a sort of homecoming. She only appears during Season 1 and her absence is not mentioned or explained until Season 9, when, due to the return of members of The Church of Apollo, Mrs McCarthy mentions that she ran off with a Buddhist after her ordeal with them. What happened to the maid at the Canadian embassy in Argo? Note that in the case of Iran, there are other reasons for hostility between the two countries, including the Islamist fundamentalism of the regime and its opposition to Israel, a close U.S. ally. 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. Richard Cartwright/CBS. If youve read and enjoyed my work for free whether thats the musings here on the blog, guest posts elsewhere, or through various free fiction sites, its now easier than ever to donate to support this work, either with a one-time contribution via PayPal, or via a monthly Patreon contribution: Kameron Hurley is the award-winning author ofThe Light Brigade,The Stars are Legionand the essay collectionThe Geek Feminist Revolution. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. How do the Iranians let us go and still save face? In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. The. But if you were Iranian, well good luck. Etc. Did they go out thinking, Man, America should stop doing stupid things so it doesnt have to create crazy mad movie plots to rescue people? Those are the emotional words of Mildred "Patty" Baena - the housekeeper who gave birth to Arnold Schwarzenegger's love child and is finally ready to set the record straight about her affair with the former California governor. Sam figured she was so angry she might turn us. 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. There's nothing more a Canadian can say after the president says it. I still expected this to be a bit of a propaganda film, full of crazy evil terrorists and noble Americas. Justify your conclusion. 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. Carter also called "Argo" a complete distortion of what happened when he accepted an honorary degree from Queen's University in Canada in November. (The sixth member of our group, Lee Schatz, joined us a week later, after hiding with the Swedes.). It really *did* work! See Note at the beginning of the Guide. Whatever, Hollywood. In the alternative, students can introduce the film themselves. The housekeeper is in deep trouble should she not be able to flee to Iraq, a feat she barely accomplishes. They believed in it, which gave them the confidence to carry it off. This is the story of the rescue of six American diplomats who escaped when Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979 and took the embassy staff hostage. Lastly, the plan allowed the six of us to travel as a group, and support each other. The housekeeper is in deep trouble should she not be able to flee to Iraq, a feat she barely accomplishes. I've registered it now for six months and President Jimmy Carter's remarks back it. "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. Most of the tension stems from the race against time. He said CIA agent Tony Mendez, played by Affleck in the film, was only in Iran for a day and a half. 2. "What I said is still valid. Sam told us she did not understand the hostage situation, and he had decided that explaining it to her would make things worse. "We took the six in without being asked so it starts there," Taylor said. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's marriage has, from the outside, seemingly unraveled at lightning speed this week, with news of a split quickly followed by an admission of an affair, an . 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. Why does everyone hate Americans? We liked the idea enough, in fact, that we chose it over two other scenarios that Tony also brought to us. It's like Tiananmen Square, you are sitting in front of a big tank," he said. "It was frustrating," Zena Sheardown said about "Argo" in an interview with The Associated Press after her husband's death.