Iran planning to sue Hollywood over 'Argo'
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran is planning to sue Hollywood over the Oscar-winning "Argo" because of the movie's allegedly "unrealistic portrayal" of the country, Iranian media reported Tuesday.
Several news outlets, including the pro-reform Shargh daily, said French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre is in Iran for talks with officials over how and where to file the lawsuit. She is also the lawyer for notorious Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.
Following the 1979 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days, but six embassy staffers were sheltered by the Canadian ambassador. Their escape, using a fake movie as a cover story, is recounted in "Argo."
After its Oscar win in February, Iranian officials dismissed "Argo" as pro-CIA, anti-Iran propaganda.
Though the movie isn't showing in any Iranian theaters, many Iranians have seen it on bootleg DVDs and it 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 were eager for a different view on what had happened.
The decision on the lawsuit came after a group of Iranian cultural officials and movie critics screened the film in a closed audience in a Tehran theater late Monday.
The gathering, titled "The Hoax of Hollywood," discussed various legal aspects of filing a lawsuit, media reports said, without providing details. It remains unclear what specific charges Iran could raise and what court Tehran could turn to if the action goes ahead.
Those at the meeting dismissed "Argo" as a "violation of international cultural norms." A statement issued after the gathering said that "awarding an anti-Iran movie is a propaganda attack against our nation and entire humanity."
The statement did not clarify how the movie was allegedly unrealistic, but officials have accused "Argo" of depicting Iranians as "too violent."
They have also said the movie's director did not refer to other documentaries on the embassy storming or discuss reasons for the crisis, which included simmering resentment against the United States for a CIA-aided counter-coup in 1953 that toppled democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and restored the pro-Western monarchy in Iran.
This was not the first time Iran has claimed that Hollywood has pushed a distorted picture of the country.
In 2009, Iran demanded an apology from a team of visiting Hollywood actors and movie industry officials, including Annette Bening, saying films such as "300" and "The Wrestler" were "insulting" to Iranians.
In 2007, the hit American movie "300" angered Iranians who said the Greeks-versus-Persians action flick insults their ancient culture and provokes animosity against Iran.
The 1991 film "Not Without My Daughter" - the true story of an American women fleeing Iran with her young daughter, angered Iranians who accused it of casting Iranians as dirty, boorish and cruel, obsessed with Islam and misogynist attitudes toward women.
Iran's state-run film industry boycotted this year's Oscars in the wake of an Internet video clip made in the U.S. denigrating the Prophet Muhammad that set off protests across the Muslim world.
The affair wasn't related to "Argo."
Several news outlets, including the pro-reform Shargh daily, said French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre is in Iran for talks with officials over how and where to file the lawsuit. She is also the lawyer for notorious Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.
Following the 1979 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days, but six embassy staffers were sheltered by the Canadian ambassador. Their escape, using a fake movie as a cover story, is recounted in "Argo."
After its Oscar win in February, Iranian officials dismissed "Argo" as pro-CIA, anti-Iran propaganda.
Though the movie isn't showing in any Iranian theaters, many Iranians have seen it on bootleg DVDs and it 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 were eager for a different view on what had happened.
The decision on the lawsuit came after a group of Iranian cultural officials and movie critics screened the film in a closed audience in a Tehran theater late Monday.
The gathering, titled "The Hoax of Hollywood," discussed various legal aspects of filing a lawsuit, media reports said, without providing details. It remains unclear what specific charges Iran could raise and what court Tehran could turn to if the action goes ahead.
Those at the meeting dismissed "Argo" as a "violation of international cultural norms." A statement issued after the gathering said that "awarding an anti-Iran movie is a propaganda attack against our nation and entire humanity."
The statement did not clarify how the movie was allegedly unrealistic, but officials have accused "Argo" of depicting Iranians as "too violent."
They have also said the movie's director did not refer to other documentaries on the embassy storming or discuss reasons for the crisis, which included simmering resentment against the United States for a CIA-aided counter-coup in 1953 that toppled democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and restored the pro-Western monarchy in Iran.
This was not the first time Iran has claimed that Hollywood has pushed a distorted picture of the country.
In 2009, Iran demanded an apology from a team of visiting Hollywood actors and movie industry officials, including Annette Bening, saying films such as "300" and "The Wrestler" were "insulting" to Iranians.
In 2007, the hit American movie "300" angered Iranians who said the Greeks-versus-Persians action flick insults their ancient culture and provokes animosity against Iran.
The 1991 film "Not Without My Daughter" - the true story of an American women fleeing Iran with her young daughter, angered Iranians who accused it of casting Iranians as dirty, boorish and cruel, obsessed with Islam and misogynist attitudes toward women.
Iran's state-run film industry boycotted this year's Oscars in the wake of an Internet video clip made in the U.S. denigrating the Prophet Muhammad that set off protests across the Muslim world.
The affair wasn't related to "Argo."
Sorry you Iranians don't understand the meaning of the freedom of expression, but here in the United States, making a fictional movie is our right and there's nothing you can really do about it. Suck it up!
Doesn't bother them to burn our flags.
Poor Iran :( Everyone lets cry a river and say sorry to Iran.
For being stupid apparently.
Food for thought:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WVtpao0KSMÂ
The truth hurts, doesn't it? What is there to sue about?Â
Does anyone really care what Iran thinks? I just wish the CIA would put a bullet in Admitedwackjobs face...
Well, any jury trying the case will have to watch the movie (as well as hear a whole lot more) and they'll certainly get a tremendous amount of international publicity. Is there something about these jokers that reminds you of the Teapublicans? I mean, how they seem to be shooting themselves down.
Oh well, let's be generous and give them lots of rope. And maybe some timbers for a scaffold?
Just put a counter suit against them because of
"The decision on the lawsuit came after a group of Iranian cultural officials and movie critics screened the film in a closed audience in a Tehran theater late Monday."
since they seem to like movie pirating. (the movie was never released in Iran)
@FZR LOVE IT!
Um how exactly does this impact Iran? Its not like Iran will ever willingly allow this film to be shown in that country. Perhaps we can smuggle in a couple million copies?
@Susabelle Drop off those copies using drones...
If Iran can sue over a movie, then every Jewish person in the world should file a lawsuit against Iran because their whackjob leader publically states that the holocaust never happened.
That's the fact JACK
Sounds like SOME little whackjob needs more nuke money.......
I don't think Iran needs Hollywood to portray Iranians as 'violent'.. I think they do that plenty on their own!!
You said it!
Argo F**k yourself Iran
Those dummies in Iran fell for the ol' Canadian Filmmaker trick. LOL
Get over it. It's just a movie. Just happens to be true. Need Jack Nicholson right here....."You can't handle the truth!"
America should sue Iran for having such a jerkwad for a leader.
Someone should make a movie about how Iran sues people for silly reasons.
Rule #1 of the Internet applies here; Â don't feed the trolls.Â
So let me get this straight. Â The country that took hostages and threatened to kill them all for over a year objects to the mean treatment they get in a movie 30 years later? Â Ahhhhh........
Yep, that pretty much sums it up. But you need to sound more whinyer when you say that.
Tell Amadiddlewackjob that the Great Satan's camel will poop down his neck.
o o
' ^
@ZIPPYÂ I wondered how you pronounced his name. Thanks for clarifying!
Careful, he might sue you for saying that! LOL!
Well Iran should be sued by Hollywood for allowing bootleg DVD's to be used in their country....
this is laughable...
To quote another movie "You can't handle the truth!!"
ROTFLOL
So, Iran is not those things, is that their claim? They've been so nice to us and this is the thanks they get. On a related note, I'm suing the internetz for portraying all kittens as cute and cuddly when we know they think of nothing but murder all day.
Iran just needs to S.T.F.U!
Now that is a funny story.