The hostage-crisis of 1979

Description Tehran, November 1979. It has been a couple of months since the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, left the country. According to many Iranians who supported the Islamic Revolution, the Shah had only come to and was kept in power because of the Americans, who stifled the democratisation process in Iran. The departure of the Shah in 1979 was therefore one of the reasons that caused a serious diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States. For a period of 444 days, a group of Islamist students and militants occupied the American embassy in Tehran and held 52 of its employees hostage. Due to the hostage crisis, relations between Iran and the US reached a historic low. Director Mohammad Shirvani looks back on this crisis in a documentary in which he interviews several persons that were directly involved in the hostage situation, like former diplomat John Limbert. Next to their reflections on this tragic historic event, they also consider in which ways there is still a future for Iran-US relations. This film is part of the program: 30 years of Revolution in Iran.   Credits Release: Length: Format: Language: Subtitles: Director: Scenario: Producer: Camera: Editor:     Iran, 2008 70 minutes DVD Mohammad Shirvani Mohammad Shirvani Mahmoud Reza Sani, Kambiz Karimi, Hooman Behmanesh, Mohammad Shirvani Mohammad Shirvani