Monday 2 August 2010

Women without men - men without knowledge

Women Without Men tells the interweaving stories of four Iranian women struggling with distressing and abusive relationships. Infused with poignant messages and magic realist imagery, the film takes as its more definable backdrop the 1953 British-US coup which overthrew the popularly-elected Mosaddegh government and installed the notorious Shah of Iran.

It's a wonderfully illuminating movie, sure to gather international awards.

After seeing it, I found this revealing little caveat in a Guardian review:
"The Anglo-Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi recently revealed that Jon Snow had told her about a conversation he had once had some years ago with the then prime minister, Tony Blair. The premier had asked Snow, plaintively, why Iran hated the British so much. Snow replied hesitantly: "Well, you know, because of Mossadeq [alternative spelling] …" – that is, the left-leaning Iranian leader, toppled in 1953 by a coup instigated by the British and American governments because of his determination to nationalise oil. Blair replied blankly: "Who?" Perhaps watching this excellent movie would be a way for Blair, and the rest of us, to brush up on British and Iranian history."
Indeed.

Hopefully, amid the blueprint plans and clamour to bomb/nuke Iran, our same liberal media will keep us primed on why most Iranians and other historically-informed observers don't entirely trust Mr 'Middle East' Blair, his 'world-aware' friends or the Guardian itself when it comes to judging Iran.

John

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