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Documentary Iran in the 1950s: Village Films, Akhbār-i Irān series, & the Cold War Story of US Government’s Documentary Diplomacy

Documentary Iran in the 1950s: Village Films, Akhbār-i Irān series, & the Cold War Story of US Government’s Documentary Diplomacy

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I have researched the decade-long Syracuse Group’s documentary operation in Iran extensively for my Ph.D. dissertation by drawing from the wealth of motion picture and paper-trail resources at the US National Archives in Maryland. This entry summarizes some key aspects of the documentary culture that resulted from Syracuse Group’s mission. It includes setting up audiovisual centers, building documentary labs, training Iranian talents, and instituting a documentary culture of top-down and central governing discourse. Additionally, I discuss two major types of documentary format: the village films and local newsreel. I frame my research as a case of documentary diplomacy and theorize this concept in the context of my genealogical investigation.

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Cinema Iranica (May 1, 2024) Documentary Iran in the 1950s: Village Films, Akhbār-i Irān series, & the Cold War Story of US Government’s Documentary Diplomacy. Retrieved from https://cinema.iranicaonline.org/article/documentary-iran-in-the-1950s-village-films-akhbar-i-iran-series-the-cold-war-story-of-us-governments-documentary-diplomacy/.
"Documentary Iran in the 1950s: Village Films, Akhbār-i Irān series, & the Cold War Story of US Government’s Documentary Diplomacy." Cinema Iranica - May 1, 2024, https://cinema.iranicaonline.org/article/documentary-iran-in-the-1950s-village-films-akhbar-i-iran-series-the-cold-war-story-of-us-governments-documentary-diplomacy/
Cinema Iranica January 9, 2024 Documentary Iran in the 1950s: Village Films, Akhbār-i Irān series, & the Cold War Story of US Government’s Documentary Diplomacy., viewed May 1, 2024,<https://cinema.iranicaonline.org/article/documentary-iran-in-the-1950s-village-films-akhbar-i-iran-series-the-cold-war-story-of-us-governments-documentary-diplomacy/>
"Documentary Iran in the 1950s: Village Films, Akhbār-i Irān series, & the Cold War Story of US Government’s Documentary Diplomacy." Cinema Iranica - Accessed May 1, 2024. https://cinema.iranicaonline.org/article/documentary-iran-in-the-1950s-village-films-akhbar-i-iran-series-the-cold-war-story-of-us-governments-documentary-diplomacy/