TEHRAN -- Oscar-winner Oliver Stone has recently put forward again his request to make a documentary on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Stone’s formal request has been presented in an email from Michelle Nickelson, who would be the producer of the documentary if the Culture Ministry gives it a green light, Mohammadreza Eslamlu, a close friend to Ahmadinejad’s art advisor, told the Persian service of Fars News Agency on Friday.
“According to Mrs. Nickelson’s email, Oliver Stone will soon visit South America to make plans for filming two documentaries about Hugo Chavez and another South American political leader,” Eslamlu said.
“He is also keen on traveling to Iran to make a documentary about the Iranian president according to the previous plan that he proposed in 2007,” he added.
“From our point of view, there are no obstacles to Stone’s traveling to Iran, because his documentary would help the world gain a better understanding of our country,” he explained.
“However, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is responsible for issuance of any necessary licenses and we should be waiting for the new administration’s ministry to make the decision about it,” Eslamlu noted.
Eslamlu had previously been assigned by Ahmadinejad’s art advisor to accompany Michelle Nickelson in “We the People of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” while she would have been making her documentary in June on the presidential election in Iran.
However, she could not make the documentary because of post-election unrest in Iran.
-----Is Stone still “part of the Great Satan”?-----
Stone’s first request for making a biopic on Ahmadinejad was put forth in June 2007.
The request was warmly received by some people close to Ahmadinejad’s art advisor including Alireza Sajjadpur, who called it an excellent opportunity for Iranian officials to counter the Western media’s negative propaganda against Iran.
However, Ahmadinejad’s media advisor Mehdi Kalhor rejected the request calling Stone “a part of the Great Satan.”
Along the same lines, Ahmadinejad’s art advisor Javad Shamaqdari scorned Stone’s appeal, saying that a positive response from Ahmadinejad’s office for Stone to make a documentary about the president depends upon a positive response from president George Bush’s office allowing an Iranian director to make a film about President Bush.
Despite previous denials, Eslamlu said that there are no obstacles to Stone’s new request to make a documentary on Ahmadinejad.
It seems likely that Stone will not receive approval, if people with views like Kalhor’s and Shamaqdari’s continue working in Ahmadinejad’s new administration.
Such officials see Stone as director of films like the action biopic “Alexander,” which was found to be offensive in Iran in 2004 due to its depiction of ancient Persians as idiots and buffoons.
In addition, they still perceive the U.S. as “the Great Satan,” a name first applied to the U.S. by the founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Imam Khomeini, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Last March, Shamaqdari denounced the Iranian House of Cinema for its decision to invite a Hollywood delegation led by Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to Iran.
Shamaqdari demanded that the delegation apologize for Hollywood’s perceived past sins as Iranian ministers of intelligence, foreign affairs and culture were all summoned to the Majlis to give an explanation for the Hollywood delegation’s visit to Iran.
Stone and Nickelson will have to spend many difficult days trying to convince Ahmadinejad’s office to allow their crew to make the documentary.
Previously, Nickelson had convinced them to allow her to film “We the People of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Just maybe, she can do it again