3. The Iran Job
Not often do we see movies about Iran not involving some sort of military action or foreign policy discussion. This documentary shows a completely different side of the country. It follows an African American basketball player from the United States, not quite good enough to make it in to the NBA, that has been recruited to play in Iran. Each team in Iran is allowed two international players, and when they bring them in from America, they expect them to bring success right away. This documentary is fascinating for multiple reasons. First, it shows a different side of Iran, breaking certain stereotypes that the U.S. media perpetuates.
The player is welcomed into the community and loved by the locals, he is not discriminated against because of his skin (at least as far as we can see) and finally provides a lens into a part of Iran (which I believe to be the large majority of the country) that is not filled with any sort of overt hatred. Moreover, it shows basketball pressure under a different context. The player isn’t worried about losing fans or getting paid less if he doesn’t bring his team success, but rather, fear for his potential safety if he doesn’t perform well. This interesting look at the intersection of sports and politics makes this one of the best documentaries on Netflix.
