On January 20, 1981, 52 members of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran were released after 444 days of captivity. Told by those who lived through it, a crisis that traumatized America and upset the political balance in the Middle East.
Editing
Seamless weaving of news footage with intimate survivor testimony.
Direction
Ben Salama lets silence and stares do the heavy lifting.
Production
Rare access to both American hostages and Iranian perspectives.
Director
Ben Salama
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The hostages were released literally minutes after Reagan's inauguration — Iran's final insult to Carter.
This crisis invented the 24-hour news cycle; ABC's 'Nightline' was born from nightly hostage updates.
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