Iranian 1979 revolution: Rare footage from French television
January 28, 2015 12:30 PM Subscribe
A French institute has collected a series of rarely seen videos on the 1979 Iranian revolution, among other things on almost any topic.
The Institut national de l'audiovisuel is a repository of all French radio and television audiovisual archives. Additionally it provides free access to archives of countries such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. It has its headquarters in Bry-sur-Marne. (Wikipedia)
The Institut national de l'audiovisuel is a repository of all French radio and television audiovisual archives. Additionally it provides free access to archives of countries such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. It has its headquarters in Bry-sur-Marne. (Wikipedia)
Fantastic stuff. Thanks, hoder. And welcome home.
posted by mykescipark at 12:35 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mykescipark at 12:35 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
So the revolution was televised?
i'll let myself out...
posted by slater at 12:36 PM on January 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
i'll let myself out...
posted by slater at 12:36 PM on January 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
Thank you everyone.
posted by hoder at 12:37 PM on January 28, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by hoder at 12:37 PM on January 28, 2015 [15 favorites]
***Applause***
posted by adamvasco at 12:50 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by adamvasco at 12:50 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
***more applause***
posted by XMLicious at 1:01 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 1:01 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Very nice find, Hoder. It is damn good to have you back.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 1:01 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by PROD_TPSL at 1:01 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
***Even More Applause***
posted by PROD_TPSL at 1:02 PM on January 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by PROD_TPSL at 1:02 PM on January 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
*** Hoder gestures with his palms down for everyone to calm down and please take a seat, but in fact the roar gets louder and everyone stands and starts hooting and hollering and chanting HODER! HODER! HODER!" ***
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 1:33 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 1:33 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
About the post, though- thank you for this. I've always had a hard time relating or understanding when my parents talk about the revolution, and it's going to be very educational to see it on video.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 1:35 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 1:35 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Welcome back! We have a "modern" theme in Preferences now!
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:37 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:37 PM on January 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Welcome back from me as well, and thanks for the post!
posted by languagehat at 2:42 PM on January 28, 2015
posted by languagehat at 2:42 PM on January 28, 2015
These are great. Though it's always a bit sad to see how Iran (with a big helping push from the US) has backslid on human rights since the 70s.
posted by Mitheral at 5:18 PM on January 28, 2015
posted by Mitheral at 5:18 PM on January 28, 2015
We have a "modern" theme in Preferences now!
Could someone log into /username/Iran and apply that, please?
Anyway, I wish my French were better than catching about 30% of these. It would be really fascinating to see an outsider's view of the revolution, considering that it was shocking and baffling to most Americans at the time. That it was also the first real introduction to the world of Islamic extremism for many was also a tricky, slippery stepping stone.
Although there were quite a few nuances that failed to make it into the two-hour running time of Argo, one of them that they at least tried to set the stage with was the fact that the revolution had seemingly long since taken place and placed the Ayatollah Khomeini in nominal charge, although there was also a civilian President, Rafjanjani, who wore Western suits and seemed fairly moderate by comparison. It was the admission of the Shah to the US for medical treatment -- a futile gesture, as it developed -- that spawned the takeover of the US Embassy and subsequent events that poisoned our relationship these many years. For most of 1979 the US had gamely tried to work with the new government and it had seemed possible up to that point (probably why Carter took the risk he did). But I think kids today, and I mean that tongue-in-cheek, don't realize the extent to which the current alarm over the Islamic State mirrors in so many ways that over the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(Of course, I'm still baffled why it was only the US that had the end-of-life care he needed. To this day. Just go someplace that won't cause a crisis, dude, do you truly imagine you'll sit on the Peacock Throne again?)
posted by dhartung at 6:47 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Could someone log into /username/Iran and apply that, please?
Anyway, I wish my French were better than catching about 30% of these. It would be really fascinating to see an outsider's view of the revolution, considering that it was shocking and baffling to most Americans at the time. That it was also the first real introduction to the world of Islamic extremism for many was also a tricky, slippery stepping stone.
Although there were quite a few nuances that failed to make it into the two-hour running time of Argo, one of them that they at least tried to set the stage with was the fact that the revolution had seemingly long since taken place and placed the Ayatollah Khomeini in nominal charge, although there was also a civilian President, Rafjanjani, who wore Western suits and seemed fairly moderate by comparison. It was the admission of the Shah to the US for medical treatment -- a futile gesture, as it developed -- that spawned the takeover of the US Embassy and subsequent events that poisoned our relationship these many years. For most of 1979 the US had gamely tried to work with the new government and it had seemed possible up to that point (probably why Carter took the risk he did). But I think kids today, and I mean that tongue-in-cheek, don't realize the extent to which the current alarm over the Islamic State mirrors in so many ways that over the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(Of course, I'm still baffled why it was only the US that had the end-of-life care he needed. To this day. Just go someplace that won't cause a crisis, dude, do you truly imagine you'll sit on the Peacock Throne again?)
posted by dhartung at 6:47 PM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
hoder... good to have you back! And those newsreels are just superb. Thank you.
posted by Mister Bijou at 10:34 PM on January 28, 2015
posted by Mister Bijou at 10:34 PM on January 28, 2015
Flagged as fantastic. So great to have you back.
posted by grouse at 9:13 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by grouse at 9:13 AM on January 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
hoder de retour, c'est formidable ! *applaudissements*
Wonderful link – the French Audiovisual Institute put it together nicely, with an intro that's more or less familiar, and then going into background that's an awful lot less well-known. I had never heard that Khomeini had spent part of his exile in Paris...
The commentary on the videos is very informative. Thanks for this!
posted by fraula at 1:59 PM on January 29, 2015
Wonderful link – the French Audiovisual Institute put it together nicely, with an intro that's more or less familiar, and then going into background that's an awful lot less well-known. I had never heard that Khomeini had spent part of his exile in Paris...
The commentary on the videos is very informative. Thanks for this!
posted by fraula at 1:59 PM on January 29, 2015
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