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And the Academy Award Goes To...

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

Paul Gambaccini traces the history of the Oscars and tells the story behind winning films

Paul Gambaccini traces the history of the Oscars and tells the story behind award-winning films

BBC Radio 4 LW

And the Academy Award Goes To...: Series 8

And the Academy Award Goes To...: Series 8: Argo

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

03/03/2018

Argo

Series 8

BBC Radio 4 - And the Academy Award Goes To..., Series 8, Argo

From real-life events that had been classified for 17 years to Oscar success in 2013: Argo

From events classified for 17 years to Oscar success in 2013: Paul Gambaccini tells the story of Argo, and the part that Hollywood played in the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-80.

From real-life events that had been classified for 17 years to Oscar success in 2013 - Paul Gambaccini tells the story of 'Argo'

Actually based on an article in 'Wired' magazine,'Argo' tells the fantastical story of how a CIA agent used Hollywood to rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, during the 1979-1981 Iran hostage crisis - under the guise of filming a science fiction film. Acclaimed by the critics as both "tense, exciting and often darkly comic" and "a movie from an earlier era - less frenetic, less showy, more focused on narrative than sensation". Nominated for seven Oscars, though controversially no nomination for director Ben Affleck, the film walked away with three statuettes, including the coveted Best Picture Award.

With the help of writer Chris Terrio and editor Billy Goldenberg (winners of the two other Oscars for the film), as well as director (and star) Ben Affleck, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, actor Clea DuVall and the real-life diplomat she portrayed, Paul Gambaccini hears how the facts behind a fantastical story were turned into a tense but believable plot.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Paul Gambaccini tells the story behind three more award-winning films

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