´Before the Revolution´

 The day when the Shah was gone, the head of the Mossad mission in Tehran got a headache...

During the mid-1970s, thousand of Israelis were working in Iran, alongside with Americans and Europeans. From kibbutzniks that suddenly had a maid to arm dealers and people that trained - and even created, some say - the terrible secret service of SAVAK, they were happy to work for better salaries and enjoy a life a luxury. They were so deep into the bubble that most of them were almost completely disconected from the reality and it was very hard to convince to leave Iran, even after Khomeini returned in glory and the Shah´s portraits were set to fire. 

Iran needed Israel for its military knowledge and knowledge in the field of agriculture, among others. Israelis were happy to enjoy the lavish lifestyle at a time when Israel was coping with economic hardships, while being handsomely paid. The Israeli embassy in Tehran, lead by an ambassador, was a well known secret. Iran needed Israel against the Arab countries. Israel needed a friend in the Middle East. Deal.

The parents of the film director of Before the Revolution, Dan Shadur, were among the people that enjoyed the life in Tehran while working hard. His father was building the military basis used by SAVAK. Through personal, intimate films and interviews with some of those who were part of the bubble at the time, Shadur recreated a historical episode of a historical relationship. I´ve particularly appreciated the multitude of points of view and the different evaluations and approaches of the situation. Most though completely misread the situation and the people, although they noticed the big gap between the North - rich - and the South - very poor - of Tehran, as well as the increasing insatisfaction of the local population under the Shah´s dictatorship. Iranians wanted ´to have their bread and breathe´ outlines one of persons interviewed. US, France and Germany didn´t want to stop Khomeini because according to the very easy Cold War logic, he was not a communist. He was just religious. 

Israelis left and developped other lucrative relationships with countries from Africa, South or Central America. Not few of them were dictatorships. From the balcony of the building that once hosted the Israeli diplomatic mission, Yasser Arafat was greeting the masses. There is always a ´before´ and an ´after´, no matter what. History has a long take and it´s made of many episodes. Some of them so surprising that not even the most intelligent spies in the world can accurately predict.

Rating: 5 stars