Iranian officials on Monday dismissed the Oscar-winning film “Argo” as pro-CIA, anti-Iran
Iranian officials on Monday dismissed the Oscar-winning film “Argo” as pro-CIA, anti-Iran propaganda, but some young, moderate Iranians welcomed it as a fresh view of recent history.
The movie, based on the escape of six American hostages from the besieged U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, has not been screened in any Iranian theaters.
But many Iranians have seen it nevertheless. In downtown Tehran, bootleg DVDs of “Argo” sell for about 30,000 rials, or less than $1.
The movie has set off a spirited debate that exposed a generational divide.
Iranians who took part in the 1979 Islamic Revolution picked apart the portrayals of Tehran at the time. But those too young to recall the events had a different view.
“I want to know what the other side is saying,” said Shieda, a 21-year-old University of Tehran student, who gave only her first name for fear of a possible backlash for speaking with foreign media.