Educational Media Reviews Online

Commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of “The Canadian Caper,” Escape From Iran tells the harrowing experiences of six American diplomats who managed to avoid detection when revolutionary Islamic students overtook the American Embassy in November 1979. As a result of the takeover, sixty-six other American diplomats were taken prisoner and fifty-two remained in custody for 444 days. This documentary is produced in association with History Television and Harmony Entertainment Management.

The principal players involved tell the story of the Americans, CIA agents, Canadian government officials, and American officials. Surprisingly, one of the key players was a Hollywood make-up artist - Bob Sidell - hence the title of this production. Searching for a plausible reason that Canadians would travel to revolutionary Iran, CIA agent Antonio Mendez concocts a risky scheme to spirit the Americans out of Iran in plain sight. He creates a phony film production company - Studio Six - complete with offices, business cards, and all the necessary paraphernalia necessary to do business. Issued with false Canadian passports, Iranian visas, and Studio Six documents, the Americans leave Iran via Swissair and arrive safely back in the United States.

This video is well made and the quality of the audio and video are very good. Excellent narration by Robert Souer, interviews with participants, and contemporary newsreels gives the viewer a sense of the danger involved. Even though I knew the eventual outcome of the events, the film does an excellent job of telling their traumatic story.

Awards

• Best of Saskatchewan, Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival