All reading materials: International Relations 1. InternationalRelations_ReadMe (Requirements of Assignment) 2. Everyone Reads 1) A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolutio

A ma n w it h a g ra ve lly v o ice , t h e o n ly o th er pe rs o n in t h e r o om, o ffe rs R eza a cu p of t e a, bu t it f e els le ss like a n o ffe r t h an a t h re at. "Y o u r t e a is g e ttin g co ld, " t h e ma n s a ys a lmo st a s s o on a s h e pl ace s it o n t h e ta bl e.

 (https://news.vice.com) AB OUT ( /A B OUT) 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 2/10 Will R eza dr in k fr o m th e cu p, o r kn ock it t o t h e fl o or in de fian ce ?

Th e ch oice is y o u rs . It 's o n e o f ma ny de cisio n s pl aye rs a re f o rce d to ma ke in 1979 R evo lu tio n : B la ck Frida y , a n ew v ide o g a me t h at pu ts pl aye rs in t h e mi ddl e o f t h e I r a n ia n R evo lu tio n . U sin g a ct ual e ve n ts , pe opl e, a n d place s, t h e g a me pr ese n ts a n o ppo rtu nit y t o e xpl ore a n d expe rie n ce t h e co mpl ex f o rce s t h at dr ove t h e r e vo lu tio n , w hich r e su lt e d in t h e o ve rth ro w o f U S-ba cke d Sh ah M oh amme d Reza P ah la vi a n d th e r is e t o po wer o f A ya to lla h K home in i in t h e n ew I s la mi c Repu blic.

Rez a a n d h is in ter ro ga to r in a s c reen sh ot f r o m t h e ga m e.

Pla ye rs t a ke o n t h e pe rs o n a o f R eza S h ir a zi, a n a spi rin g ph oto jo u rn alis t w ho g e ts s w ept u p in t h e unfo ldi ng r e vo lu tio n in S e pt embe r 1 97 8. Fro m th e da y w hen h e fi rs t ph oto gra ph s pr ote ste rs f r o m a Te h ra n r o oft o p until h e fi n ds h ims elf impr is o n ed in 1 980, pl aye rs mu st ma ke ch oice s t h at a ffe ct t h e w ay th e s to ry pl ays o u t a s t h e g a me pr ogre sse s. D o y o u dr in k th e t e a? Y o u r d eci sio n w ill h ave co nse qu en ce s.

T h e in te rro ga tio n is s e t in I r a n 's n oto rio u s E vin P ris o n , lo n g kn ow n f o r h oldi ng po lit ica l pr is o n ers .

(R ece ntly , J a so n R eza ia n o f t h e W ash in gto n P o st w as h eld in E vin o n t r u mpe d-up esp io n age ch arg e s; h e w as r e le ase d earlie r t h is y e ar.) I n t h e a ft e rma th o f t h e r e vo lu tio n , pr is o n ers w ere r e gu la rly t o rtu re d an d th ou sa n ds w ere pu t t o de ath , ma ny r e po rte dl y a t t h e h an ds o f A sa do lla h L a je va rdi , w ho s e rv e d as t h e pr is o n 's w arde n f o r s e ve ra l y e ars in t h e 1 980s.

It is L a je va rdi , t e rrif y in g e ve n a s a v ide o g a me ch ara ct er, w ho s e rv e s R eza t h e t e a a n d pr oce eds t o in te rro ga te h im. 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 3/10 Main ta in in g h is to rica l a ccu ra cy in t h e g a me w as impo rta n t, s a ys di re ct or, co -w rit e r, a n d co -cr eato r N avid K hon sa ri. H e a n d his t e am condu cted mo re t h an 4 0 in te rv ie w s w it h I r a n ia n s w ho liv e d th ro u gh t h e re vo lu tio n — s e ve ra l o f t h e pe opl e in vo lv e d in t h e ma king o f t h e g a me , in cl udi ng K hon sa ri, liv e d th ro u gh it a s w ell — a n d Reza 's fi ct io n al s to ry is ba se d in pa rt o n t h ose r e al- lif e a cco unts . M an y o f t h e s ce nes t h at pl aye rs ph oto gra ph w it h R eza 's ca me ra in t h e co urs e o f t h e g a me a re in spi re d by t h e pi cture s o f F re n ch ph oto jo u rn alis t M ich el S e tbo un, w ho w as in I r a n a t t h e t ime o f t h e r e vo lu tio n .

Th e pl aye r's ph oto s — o ft e n di spl aye d in a g a me me nu a lo n gside S e tbo un's — a re a cco mpa nie d by expl an atio n s o f w hat's h appe nin g in t h e pi cture s. T h e r e su lt is a qu ick but w ide -r a n gin g e du catio n o n 1970s I r a n , t o u ch in g o n e ve ry th in g f r o m Ir a n ia n -bu ilt P ayka n ca rs t o t h e illici t ca sse tte t a pe s t h at w ere u se d to s pr ead th e me ssa ge s o f e xile d re lig io u s le ade rs a n d in te lle ct uals .

B ut f o r K hon sa ri, s ta yin g t r u e t o h is to ry w as n ot t h e mo st impo rta n t a spe ct o f 1 979 R evo lu tio n . "N o o n e w ou ld giv e a s h it a bo ut it if y o u di dn 't ma ke a g re at g a me ," h e s a id. "I w ou ld lo ve fi rs t a n d fo re mo st f o r pe opl e t o be e n te rta in ed an d en ga ge d.... But h ope fu lly t h e s e co nda ry e le me nt o f w hat w e pu t o u t t h ere is s ta rtin g a co nve rs a tio n . W e'r e n ot lo oki ng t o cr eate w orld pe ace . W e'r e lo oki ng t o cr eate s o me e mpa th y a n d le ss ju dg me nt s o w e ca n a ct ually s ta rt w orki ng t o w ard a mo re po sit iv e o u tco me ." 1979 Re volution: Black F riday - Ocial T railer 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 4/10 Rela ted : T h e U N 's D ru g M eetin g in V ie n na: R ussia n T ro ll in g, J a cki e C han , a n d Lo ts o f P ro pa ga n da (h ttps ://n ew s.v ice .co m/articl e/th e-u ns-dr ug-me etin g-in -v ie n na-r u ssia n -t r o llin g-ja cki e-ch an -a n d- lo ts -o f- pr opa ga n da ) Th ou gh K hon sa ri w as bo rn in M on tr e al in 1 970, h e s pe nt t h e fi rs t 1 0 y e ars o f h is lif e in I r a n . H e t a lks o f h is me mo rie s o f t h e r e vo lu tio n in t h e s a me br eath a s h is me mo rie s o f w atch in g S ta r W ars a n d en jo yin g t h e po p cu lt u re o f t h e t ime . K hon sa ri, w ho ca lls po p cu lt u re " th e t r u e in te rn atio n al la n gu age w e a ll t a lk, " in fu se s t h e g a me w it h it — a r e vo lu tio n ary f r ie n d of R eza 's jo ke s a bo ut J o h n T ra vo lt a a n d disco , a n d Reza h as t h e o ppo rtu nit y t o pi ck up a ma ga zin e w hose co ve r f e atu re s G oogo osh , a n e xtr e me ly po pu la r s in ge r an d act re ss w ho r e ma in ed in I r a n f o r t w o de cade s a ft e r t h e r e vo lu tio n e ve n t h ou gh a s a w oma n s h e w as n o lo n ge r a llo w ed to pe rfo rm.

K hon sa ri's r e co lle ct io n s o f t h e r e vo lu tio n a re w hat o n e mi gh t e xpe ct o f a y o u ng bo y — in te re st a n d exci te me nt a t s e ein g pe opl e a n d mi li t a ry v e h icl es in t h e s tr e ets . B ut h is f a th er, a s u rg e o n , de cide d to mo ve t h e f a mi ly ba ck to C an ada a s t h e n ew r e gime ca me t o po wer.

"T h e U S h osta ge s w ere be in g de ta in ed, t h e r e vo lu tio n w as o ve r, s ch ools w ere s h ut do wn f o r cl ean sin g fr o m Weste rn in flu en ce s, a n d th e w ar w it h I r a q was br ew in g," K hon sa ri r e co unte d. "M y f a th er, h avin g th re e s o n s, w as ki nd of like , 'I t 's t ime t o g e t t h e h ell o u t o f h ere .' H is co nce rn w as n ot w hat h ad happe ned, bu t w hat w ou ld be co mi ng u p. Th e da rke st da ys in I r a n ca me a ft e r t h e r e vo lu tio n ." Khon sa ri e ve n tu ally be came a g a me de ve lo pe r, w orki ng a t R ocks ta r G ame s in t h e e arly 2 0 00s o n s e ve ra l tit le s in t h e G ra n d Th eft A uto ( G TA ) s e rie s. T h e g a me s a re in fa mo us f o r t h eir v io le n ce , bu t t h ey'r e a ls o a dmi re d fo r t h eir cr eativ e a n d en ga gin g s to ry te llin g. T h ou gh 1979 R evo lu tio n f e atu re s v io le n ce , it is a n in te ra ct iv e s to ry -dr iv e n g a me , a n d Khon sa ri s a ys t h e qu alit y o f t h e g a me 's pe rfo rma nce s is t h e mo st di re ct lin k to h is w ork on G TA .

Act ors in 1979 R evo lu tio n — a ll a re I r a n ia n , mo st a re I r a n ia n -A me rica ns — in cl ude N avid Nega h ba n, w ho pl aye d th e t e rro ris t A bu N azir in t h e s h ow Home la n d, a n d Fa rs h ad Fa ra h at, pe rh aps be st k n ow n f o r h is pe rfo rma nce a s a n I r a n ia n r e vo lu tio n ary in t h e Os car-w in nin g 2 012 fi lm A rg o . Fa ra h at w as bo rn in I r a n in N ove mbe r 1 978. A t t h e t ime , t h e s h ah h ad impo se d cu rfe w s, s o h is pa re n ts h ad to n avig a te ch eckpo in ts a s h is f a th er e xpl ain ed to a rme d so ldi ers t h at h is mo th er n eede d to g e t t o a h ospi ta l. Fa ra h at's f a mi ly le ft I r a n in 1 986, bu t h e h as be en a bl e t o r e tu rn , a n d be lie ve s o n e le sso n pl aye rs ma y t a ke a w ay f r o m th e g a me is a le sso n I r a n ia n s le arn ed th an ks t o t h e r e vo lu tio n .

"I w as in I r a n du rin g t h e 2 009 pr ote sts , a n d on e t h in g t h e I r a n ia n pe opl e h ave le arn ed is t h at t h ey w ill n ot h ave a n oth er v io le n t r e vo lu tio n ," F a ra h at s a id. "T h e g re at t h in g a bo ut t h e g a me a s o ppo se d to a fi lm is it pu ts y o u in t h e r e vo lu tio n a n d yo u g e t t o ma ke de cisio n s a n d se e t h e r e su lt s . D o y o u pi ck th e v io le n t o r 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 5/10 non -v io le n t w ay?" T h e ga me ( h ttp:/ /in ks to rie s.co m/1979R evo lu tio n G ame /) , w hich is be in g r e le ase d Tu esda y f o r M ac an d PC , has f a ce d se ve ra l s e tba cks . Fir s t a n nou nce d in 2 011, it e n du re d a f a ile d 20 13 K icks ta rte r ca mpa ig n a n d a re le ase da te t h at w as r e pe ate dl y pu sh ed ba ck. Khon sa ri w as la be le d a s py by I r a n ia n n ew spa pe rs , a n d an Ir a n ia n w orki ng o n a rt f o r t h e g a me w as f o rce d to fl ee t h e co untr y . N eve rth ele ss, K hon sa ri is o pt imi stic a bo ut h ow it w ill be r e ce iv e d in h is f o rme r h ome .

"In I r a n w e s h ou ld be e mbr ace d eve n by t h e r ig h t be cause w e'r e t e llin g a t r u th fu l s to ry ," h e s a id. "W e'r e n ot de mo niz in g a n yo n e, be cause w e'r e n ot po in tin g fi n ge rs a t w ho is a g o od gu y in t h e po lit ica l s tr u ct ure a n d who's a ba d gu y. W e'r e n ot t r y in g t o ch an ge h is to ry . W e'r e t e llin g t h e h is to ry o f t h e pe opl e." Fo llo w K y H en de rs o n o n T w it te r: @ ky hen de rs o n ( h ttps ://tw it te r.co m/kyhen de rs o n ) TO PIC S: ir a n ( / to p ic/ ir a n ) , ir a n ia n r e vo lu tio n ( / to p ic/ ir a n ia n -r e vo lu tio n ) , 1 979 r e vo lu tio n ( / to p ic/ 1979-r e vo lu tio n ) , 1979 r e vo lu tio n g a m e ( / to p ic/ 1979-r e vo lu tio n -g a m e) , m id dle e ast ( / to p ic/ m id dle -e ast) , v id eo g a m es (/ to p ic/ vid eo -g a m es) , n avid kh on sa ri ( / to p ic/ navid -kh on sa ri) , f a rs h ad f a ra h at ( / to p ic/ fa rs h ad -f a ra h at) , g ra n d th eft a u to ( / to p ic/ gra n d-t h eft -a u to ) , 1 979 r e vo lu tio n : b la ck fr id ay ( / to p ic/ 1979-r e vo lu tio n -b la ck- fr id ay) , e vin p ris o n ( / to p ic/ evin -p ris o n ) , w ar & co nflict ( / to p ic/ war-co nflict ) RECOMMENDED (/article/an-fbi-translator-married-the-isis- fighter-she-was-supposed-to-be-investigating) An FBI translator married the ISIS fighter she was supposed to be investigating (/article/an-fbi-translator - married-the-isis-fighter-she-was-supposed-to-be- investigating) (/article/irish-assembly-recommends- unrestricted-access-to-terminations) Abortion rights progress (/article/irish-assembly- recommends-unrestricted-access-to-terminations) (/article/some-states-are-using-junk-science-to- require-doctors-to-tell-women-they-can-reverse- an-abortion) Some states are using junk science to require doctors to tell women they can reverse an abortion (/article/some-states-are-using-junk-science-to- require-doctors-to-tell-women-they-can-reverse-an- abortion) (/article/ivanka-trumps-white-house-role-raises- ethics-questions-never-before-answered) 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 6/10 No ethical precedent (/article/ivanka-trumps-white- house-role-raises-ethics-questions-never -before- answered) MOST POPULAR (/article/the-bloody-montreal-mafia-war-to-replace-vito-rizzuto) Mon tr e al's B lo ody M afi a W ar W on 't E n d (/ a rticl e/th e-bl oody -mo ntr e al- ma fia-w ar-t o -r e pl ace -v it o -r iz zu to ) (/article/americas-new-deadliest-drug-fentanyl) A me rica 's n ew de adl ie st dr ug is f e n ta n yl ( / a rticl e/a me rica s-n ew -de adl ie st-dr ug-f e n ta n yl) 28 Comments V ice News Login 1 Share ⤤ Sort by Best LOG IN WITH OR SIGN UP WITH DISQUS Name Join the discussion… ? • Reply • ThisMachineKills • 2 years ago So this is going to be released on Steam I hope? Looks pretty cool actually .

1 • Reply • CJ • 2 years ago > ThisMachineKills Already released • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago All of arabs in pop culture either sort of Gandalf-like wise guys with soozing voice or mad maniacs who want to criple everyone around them. I had an iranian landlord once and he was kind of both.

1 Eric Arvizu • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten Persians aren't Arabs. Recommend  Share › Share › Share › COMMENTS △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 7/10 • Reply • 8 • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > Eric Arvizu Thanks, you are obviously right. Still, last time I checked most of them hate Israel - that's pretty arab to me.

1 • Reply • dentcj • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten i Hate it when people so clearly uneducated take a hard line stand on a political issue. you don't even know what race the people are! let me break it down... persian is a race , they call themselves Aryan (it's where the name Iran comes from). arabs are a race too, arab countries are mainly to the west of Iran. islam, sunni or shia, is a religion. most persians are shia. most (but not all) arabs are sunni. now do a bit of your own research before making inflammatory posts. 5 • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > dentcj Political issue? Uneducated? I told you why I called them arabs. Please, don't think that I'm of fended by your words. I bet you can't read Dostoevsky or bloody- boring Tolstoy in Russian - well, I can. Not knowing much about the thirld-world doesn't make you uneducated. It probably makes you a snob, but I could live with that.

And Islam sucks. Y ou know that, and everybody else knows that, or at least start to realize it. • Reply • Max Rockatansky • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten "I bet you can't read Dostoevsky or bloody-boring T olstoy in Russian - well, I can" lol what are you, like 5? Who cares if you you can read Russian jerk of fs in Russian. It's completely irrelevant. You remind me of that ponytailed goofball in the bar scene from Good Will Hunting. dentcj didn't mean you were uneducated in the sense that you are a moron (although I think you are), he meant you are uneducated about the topic on which you were speaking. So you further displayed your ignorance by braying like a jackass with your last comment.

2 J.D. • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten " Still, last time I checked most of them hate Israel - that's pretty arab to me." "Political issue? Uneducated? I told you why I called them arabs." Er, what?

"I bet you can't read Dostoevsky or bloody-boring T olstoy in Russian - well, I can." Oh, ok. What?

"Not knowing much about the thirld-world doesn't make you uneducated. It probably makes you a snob..." Share › Share › Share › Share › Share ›△ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 8/10 • Reply • How does, wait, what?

1 • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > J.D. Is that too smart? I bet you don't think it is, but anyway . All of that talk was about the portraying muslims and people from Islamic countries either as savages or very brave and wise dudes like Gandalf. Instead of saying "muslims" I said "arabs", probably because I kind of a stupid guy that forgets things (obviously Iranians not Arabs, as well as Pakistanis). I don't consider myself uneducated, and I tried to prove that by saying that I actually read pretty big books. I wasn't trying to offend anyone. If it looked so, don't be frightened. I'm not trying to win every battle on the internet. Also, I'm not trying to be politically correct all the time. • Reply • Amir Tayari • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten Peter, so you judge 80 million people just by your bad experience with your landlord? And you think all Iranians hate Israel and because of that they are Arabs? Really?!!? Just one suggestion: search about Iran-Israel relation before the revolution, and the dif ference between Iranians and Arabs and current rivalry between the two form centuries ago. And maybe travel to Iran sometime in the future, bet you meet so many ppl better than your landlord :) • Reply • TecumsehUnfaced • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten ZioNazi thuggery sucks much worse. They attacked Arab Christians and Jews too. • Reply • CJ • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten hahaha, So anybody who hates Israel is arab. which means half the population of earth 2 • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > CJ Probably , depending on your definition of "arab". • Reply • Forp • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten The Persians are more relevant to the history of mankind than whatever irrelevant European nation that birthed you. The Persians where conquering central Asia and duking it out with Ancient Greece back when your ancestors were inferior pagans playing around in the dirt.

2 • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > Forp Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share ›△ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 9/10 • Reply • • Reply • jay jenkins • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten I hate Israel and I'm not Arab. • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > jay jenkins Probably just a moron. That happens, there's a lot of people like you all over the world. • Reply • TecumsehUnfaced • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten No, hating thuggery is what causes antagonism toward the European ZioNazi thugs that assaulted Palestine. • Reply • george plutarch • 2 years ago > Eric Arvizu oh they are either sunni or shia muslims Muslims or jews now which is it ? • Reply • Peter Karsten • 2 years ago > george plutarch Persians are definitely Jews. • Reply • z41216 • 2 years ago > Peter Karsten So do u hate the Persians or Israeli... SNOB!!! • Reply • TecumsehUnfaced • 2 years ago Much better would be a game about the overthrow of the democratically elected Mosaddegh government of Iran by the CIA. • Reply • george plutarch • 2 years ago Hopefully the game has a real nuke going of f in the hidden nuclear bomb factory setting off the 20 nukes already fitted to missiles ending that pack of wolves george plutarch • 2 years ago > Guest I was just envisioning the next years events and I can dream cant I ? Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Share › Avatar△ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ △ ▽ This comment was deleted. 5/3/2018 A New Video Game Drops Players Into the Chaos of the Iranian Revolution | VICE News https://news.vice.com/article/1979-revolution-black-friday-game-iranian-revolution 10/10 comments powered by Disqus (http://disqus.com) IN THE NEWS MORE NEWS FEATURES