Iranium: a Sneak Preview

A couple of weeks a go, I mentioned the little diplomatic incident between Canada and Iran over the upcoming documentary 'Iranium', which is highly critical of the Ayatollah's regime and alerts the viewers to their nuclear ambitions. The Iranian government threatened the Canadian government and demanded the movie will not be showcased at the Library and Archives Canada, which is a government institution, in Ottawa. The Harper government, which has been very consistent with regards to a firm stance on foreign policy, has refused to cave in.

In the Canadian media this was a debate over free speech. The boorish demands of a regressive dictatorship to suppress criticism and freedom of speech in a western democracy has certainly been an effective PR tool for the producers. By this I am not trying to say that the entire heated exchange of words was a publicity stunt, but it certainly brought my attention to the film.

I ended signing up for the film's public premiere. For the next 12 hours or so, you can watch the entire movie for free (by clicking on the widget below). I already watched it and recommend you do the same while it is possible. If public access is no longer available, or you want to find out more about it before committing an hour, here's my impression:

Canada Standing Firm to Criminal Threats from Iran

I previously discussed the possibility that Iran will manage to shut down free speech in Canada using threats. It appears as though the Conservative government stands for free speech in Canada after all!

The Harper government has ordered Library and Archives Canada to screen the new documentary Iranium. The post writes:

The Harper government sent a diplomatic note to Iran Wednesday, as Heritage Minister James Moore lashed out at Tehran for its part in a campaign that cancelled the screening of a movie critical of the Iranian regime at Library and Archives Canada.

On Wednesday morning, the Minister instructed Library and Archives Canada to show Iranium, a documentary critiquing Iran’s nuclear program, after it cowed to numerous threats of protest and an official request from the Iranian embassy in Canada to not present the film Tuesday night, as scheduled.

In its diplomatic note to Tehran, the government said Canada is a free country and that freedom of expression is a core value that won’t be compromised.

That's a breath of fresh air. I cannot say that I am an equivocal fan of everything the Harper government does, but thus far they have been consistently good in the international, especially vis-a-vis Iran and vis-a-vis Israel.

-QP