Did Affleck film inspire migrants?
THE 2012 film Argo centres around the story of a CIA agent who acts as a Hollywood producer scouting locations for a sciencefiction film in Iran.
In the movie, Ben Affleck plays CIA operative Tony Mendez, who launches the dangerous operation in order to rescue six American citizens in Tehran, during the US hostage crisis in Iran, which took place from 1979-1981.
The film, inspired by true events, also stars John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin. It was produced by Affleck, as well as George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
The plot centres around six personnel working at the US embassy in Tehran, who avoid capture in November 1979, when Iranian activists take all other embassy staff hostage in retaliation for American president Jimmy Carter’s move to grant asylum to the recently deposed Shah of Iran.
CIA agent Tony Mendez – played by Affleck – is charged with rescuing the six Americans who escape capture, and have been hiding in the Canadian ambassador’s residence.
He comes up with the idea of creating a cover story that they are Canadian filmmakers in Iran scouting locations for a sci-fi film called Argo.
Mendez enlists the help of a former colleague, now working in Hollywood, and forms a fake film production company to lend credibility to the cover story.
The mission is eventually successful and the six Americans escape Iran.