Iran and the West

2009

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP2 The Pariah State Feb 14, 2009

The award-winning producers of The Death Of Yugoslavia, The Fall Of Milosevic and Elusive Peace, talk to two top Revolutionary Guard commanders, who describe how they persuaded Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, to let them launch, fund, and train Hezbollah in Lebanon. President George HW Bush, in his inaugural address, told Iran that the release of hostages in the Lebanon would lead the United States to show "goodwill" (an end to sanctions and the welcoming of Iran back into the community of nations). Iran's President Rafsanjani duly put pressure on the hostage-takers and secured their release, but by that time the US was so angered by what it saw as Iran's continuing support for terrorism that Bush and his advisers decided that they could not deliver. In an exclusive interview, Mohammad Khatami, President of Iran from 1997 to 2005, describes how he set out to improve relations with the West and, for the first time, looks back on how he struggled with hardliners in Iran to relieve the country of its pariah status and achieve good relations with the West. Step one was "people-to-people" diplomacy – a wrestling team became the first US delegation to visit Iran since the revolution and the two team captains describe how, after the match, the American proudly held aloft a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader. The programme ends with the story of an extraordinary attempt by US Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright to meet the Iranian foreign minister. Told he would be present at a meeting at the United Nations in New York, she attended and made friendly remarks addressed to him. But the leader of the Iranian delegation turned out to be the Foreign Minister's deputy. Albright, the deputy and others present describe the scene, their embarrassment and disappointment.
8| 0h30m| en
Synopsis

Militant Islam enjoyed its first modern triumph with the arrival in power of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in 1979. In this series of three programmes, key figures tell the inside story.

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Reviews

Interesteg What makes it different from others?
Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie
Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation
SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.
nebmac Even though it's a few years old now, this documentary is still relevant, as relations between Iran and the West (US & Western Europe) have not changed much since 2009. It works especially well as a reminder that the situation is far more complex than the two-dimensional "good vs. evil" scenario often presented by some politicians and media outlets.One thing I found bothersome was the translation of the non-English portions. I don't speak Farsi, but I could detect some summarization and omission of the French speakers' words in the subtitles. Anything less than a complete and accurate translation is unacceptable in a production of this caliber, and for that reason, I think it deserves less than 10 stars.
ukproject Iran seems to be the current focus of the US. The bulls eye in the 'axis of evil'. While the war drums are beating, the West is being convinced by the major political players that Iran has an almost pathological need to pretty much guarantee its own destruction. Iran according to them has never been threatened, and the US never interferes with the political processes of countries in the Middle East. 'Iran and The West' should be compulsory viewing for anyone who has an opinion on the current tensions between the US and Iran. It is almost sad to see matters being escalated over time due to mistrust and political mechanisations. Iran is far more liberal, has a rich cultural heritage, and has much more in common with the US than countries like Saudia Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, yet the Petrodollar dictates that the US sides with Saudia Arabia which is the center of ideological Islamic fundamentalism rather than Iran, where fundamentalism only survives due to the standoff perpetuated by the US at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Israel.'Iran and The West' boasts a list of political heavyweights including former Presidents, Foreign Secretaries, Minsters and Ambassadors with dialogue switching between various people to prove the authenticity of the narrative.Political documentaries do not get much better than this.
Cartimandua A riveting three-hour BBC series about the relationship between Iran and the "West" over the last few decades. It clearly sets out the chronological history, but what makes it great are the interviews with major players, including Khatami, Vance, Rafsanjani, de Cuellar, Albright and Larijani. These personal accounts of vital meetings, brinkmanship, exasperation on all sides - even straightforward low comedy - are fascinating. Behind-the-scenes negotiations, shifting allegiances and politicians or diplomats being outflanked by unforeseen events put the familiar (and often baffling) news stories in context, together with great use of archive footage. I can't recommend it highly enough, especially in the light of current events.