OUR MAN IN TEHRAN WORKSHOP
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Overview by Carolyn Yale
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It’s called a “workshop” because you will learn how to use the PBS Frontline documentary Our Man in Tehran in presentations to groups in your community. Our Man in Tehran chronicles the reporting, observations and experiences of Dutch journalist Thomas Erdbrink, one of the few western journalists in Iran. You will easily recognize the Iran portrayed here, even though this is a 21st century Tehran, in many ways changed. But most Americans know Iran only as it is caricatured on TV and in newspapers. We are asking you to help change this situation by showing and discussing selections from the documentary.
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We have a ‘toolkit’ to guide you through preparation for a presentation and will distribute the kit at the San Diego conference. During the workshop, which is scheduled for the afternoon on Saturday (Oct. 5), you will hear from volunteers who have already tried this out -- and found that audiences are eager to know more about Iran, ask questions, and discuss the situation today.. The documentary is four hours in length, the first part (two hours) covering 2014 and the second part, 2018. We will identify recurring themes in the documentary and options for organizing material in a presentation. Some subjects are upbeat, others tragic. If in 2014 there was hope, by 2018 conditions have taken a downturn, and prospects for the future at best dubious.
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In fact, on June 10, 2019 the NY Times reported that Erdbrink’s credentials as a journalist were suspended. You can read that article HERE. In responding to this article, the Peace Corps Iran Association Board submitted a letter to the editor. You can read that HERE.
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