Iranian director decries Hollywood portrayal of foreign countries, calls American democracy ‘a lie’

Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi called out Hollywood’s depiction of Iran and other foreign countries at the Rio Film Festival in Brazil on Friday, claiming it is a “lie” to call America a “democracy.”

While promoting his film “Parallel Tales,” Farhadi was asked about the 2012 movie “Argo” winning Best Picture just one year after his film “A Separation” won Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. 

“Argo,” directed by Ben Affleck, stars Affleck as CIA operative Tony Mendez in a loose adaptation of Mendez’s memoir on the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran by pretending to film a science-fiction movie in the nation.

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Farhadi described the film as a “Hollywood thing” and suggested it was “not deep” based on its plot involving a “White guy” saving others, though Mendez in real life was of Mexican descent.

“They make these movies for money; it’s a business,” Farhadi said, according to Variety. “And in these films it’s always a [W]hite guy from the United States saving others. My question is: Why? Why does an American go to Cuba or Iran to save people? People understand they can save themselves. Who asked you to come and save us?”

Farhadi also accused “Argo,” which took place after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, of portraying Iran “like you’re in hell.”

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“The problem with these kinds of films in Hollywood [and] some people in the United States [is that] they look at the world from up to down,” Farhadi said. “Someday you should ask them: Why do you feel you’re up and we’re down? I don’t understand why they have this ego that they’re up.”

Farhadi also denied Americans’ claim to “have democracy,” saying he believed the “real America” exists among Black and foreign prisoners.

“You don’t have democracy. It’s a lie,” Farhadi said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Farhadi’s and Affleck’s representatives for comment.

Media Research Center President David Bozell called out Farhadi’s negative view of America and American films in a comment to Fox News Digital.

“America was asked to save the world, and we did, not once, but twice. And we’re always preparing to do it again, if we’re asked to, at a moment’s notice. Maybe Hollywood makes movies about Americans saving the world for a reason,” Bozell said.