Iran Filming Movie Response To ‘Argo’

The dramatic real-life story behind the movie Argo could soon inspire another film. Iran is planning to release a cinematic response to the Oscar winning film later this year.

Argo, which tells the story of how a CIA agent freed hostages from Iran, has been condemned by the Iranian media.

After Argo won the Oscar last night for best picture, which was presented by Michelle Obama, the news agency Mehr called the Academy Awards “politically motivated” and that Argo was an “advertisement for the CIA.”

Iran plans to rectify Argo’s political slant with their own movie later this year. Iran is expected to start filming its cinematic response to Argo, a movie called The General Staff, early in 2013.

Director Ataollah Salmanian told CNN:

“This film, which will be a big production, should be an appropriate response to the (inaccurate) film Argo.”

Iran’s state-run broadcaster Press TV wrote:

“The Iranophobic American movie attempts to describe Iranians as overemotional, irrational, insane, and diabolical while at the same, the CIA agents are represented as heroically patriotic. (Argo is) a far cry from a balanced narration … (it is) replete with historical inaccuracies and distortions.”

Salmanian said that The General Staff will be based on “eye-witness accounts” and will tell the true story of Argo.