Poliwood this week is slightly longer and bit more serious than Lionel Chetwynd and my previous episodes, because, as many of you know, a group of our Motion Picture Academy colleagues went to Iran on some sort of “cultural exchange.” We couldn’t resist talking about the trip and its odd timing.
I was personally interested because, as I point out on the show, I have been on similar exchanges to do the Soviet Union and the PRC (way back in 1979) and know their seductions. I also know their ultimate dishonesty and the way the guests are manipulated by their hosts. After all, we are all honored to be in hitherto forbidden territory. If nothing else, we can dine out on it when we are back in civilization.
FYI, the women in the Tehran photograph on the Poliwood set above are American actresses Annette Bening (left), Alfre Woodard (right), flanking Iranian actress Fatemeh Motamed Aria. Iranian-American filmmaker Ardeshir Arian, who was a guest on our show, pointed out that Motamed Aria is, ironically, wearing more makeup than the hijab-clad Bening, who appears to be wearing none at all.
Enjoy the show. As usual, we appreciate your feedback.
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11 Comments
1. Pops in Vienna:I think it’d be great if the Mullahs took over Hollywood. Looks like Ms. Bening would welcome them.
Mar 6, 2009 - 2:53 am 2. HardHeadedWoman:This was very interesting but the Iranian guy you were talking to didn’t inspire any confidence in me at all about the Iranian attitude. He was pretty much against and insulted by the same movies that the Iranian gov are demanding apologies for.
Mar 6, 2009 - 8:10 am 3. Ellsworth:Astute observation, HardHeadedWoman. Iran isn’t the way it is by accident. Trying to figure out the “Iranian attitude” is impossible because it’s an incredibly labyrinthine society. There was something to be said for our old concept of Orientalism when looking at the Persian culture, now overlayed with Islam. Gives me a headache just to think about.
Mar 6, 2009 - 11:38 am 4. Anita Hope:Is Annette Benning the new Jane Fonda ? What is she projecting, no make-up, covered head, as respect for their policies when they show non for ours. As
Mar 6, 2009 - 11:48 am 5. hermie:an actress I have always enjoyed her talent, but as an American for over a very long period I find her choices against our country unacceptible, I cannot
critizise Alfre Woodard, but feel this was again a bad choice, turning your back on all those American’s plus those from other countries that have lost their lives because of Iran’s hatred of our country and people. These women have no idea of the depth of torture that they are capable of, and I question
their reading anything more than the scripts they are given.
They show ‘respect’ (submission) to a system that kills gays, tortures political dissidents, flogs women and girls for the ‘inconvenience’ of becoming rape victims, persecutes Jews and Christians; yet they called Bush a ‘tyrant’.
Mar 6, 2009 - 1:01 pm 6. Hey Annette!:You have been to Cuba?:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/03/04/petercoyote030409.DTL&hw=cuba&sn=002&sc=
Mar 6, 2009 - 10:05 pm 7. Class Clown:Please, please, pleeeeeaaase, let the Mullahs take our stars hostage!
C’mon Iranian students! betcha can’t break your old record of 444 days! Chickens! bwalk! bwalk! bwalk!
Mar 7, 2009 - 4:03 am 8. Lynn B.:Annette Benning and Alfre Woodard should be ashamed. I wish they both could have seen Sara Azmeh Rasmussen burn her hijab on International Women’s Day. Pelosi did the same in Syria, and Calmey-Rey in Iran. Nothing like helping oppressed women by acting and dressing like one of them to appease the oppresive government. And they have the damned nerve to call themselves “progressives”. GRRRRRR!!!
Mar 10, 2009 - 2:42 pm 9. Man Mountain Molehill:300 is Frank Miller’s interpretation of Herodotus, not Homer as both of you had it. Wrong war, and wrong author by 500 years. Victor Davis Hanson is digging a grave right now just so he can spin in it.
Mar 11, 2009 - 6:51 pm 10. susie:please send me your story if you feel like you have been shit on by other posters on web sites that have blogs…..zenstorm@wordpress.com
Mar 13, 2009 - 2:06 am 11. susie:sorry for swearing…..treated poorly by other posters….tell me your story. zenstorm@wordpress.com
Mar 13, 2009 - 2:10 am