In 1980 the Iran hostage crisis fueled a diplomatic divide between the United States and Iran that wreaked havoc on millions of innocent people's lives. After the notorious incident, many who had lived in the United States peacefully for a long time began to face hostility simply because of their affiliation to Iran. The region that was once known as Persia used to be a solid American ally.
"American Wrestler" begins in 1980 with brutal scenes from the Iran- Iraq war which cost millions of lives on both sides. The United States armed Iraq during this war. Forced into a corner, the Iran revolutionary guard and Ayatollah began to conscript child soldiers into their ranks to fight against Saddam Hussein. During this time, a desperate family smuggles their 17 year old youngest son, a seemingly docile boy named Ali Jahani, out of Iran to an uncle who happens to be residing in a small town in California.
The relative is reluctant to take in Jahani as he is facing his own problems with America's hostility towards people of Iranian descent. He loses his business and faces harassment on a regular basis because of his ethnicity. Ali faces similar hostility in high school. After being ostracized and bullied, Ali decides that he needs to join the school's wrestling team to make friends. Ali immediately becomes a rising star in the team. His uncle considers wrestling as an opportunity for revenge for the mistreatment of Iranian people in America. The uncle is convinced that if his nephew Ali can win against Americans in California, then together they can convince people that Iranians deserve to be treated with equality. Ali and his uncle begin to train together intensely and a strong bond eventually forms.
During one of the training sessions, Ali asks his uncle why he isn't counting his exercise reps. The uncle casually replies by saying, " What, are you Lebanese? You want to drive a Mercedes while your children starve? Now you want others to think you are strong when you know you are weak. Count for yourself. Cheat if you don't care to win". Ali takes such lessons to heart. But after an unseen accident disqualifies him for his final wrestling championship match, Ali has to recruit the help of his new American friends to eventually go on to become a champion. The film ends on a positive not and even shows scenes of the real-life Ali wrestling in his prime. "American Wrestler: The Wizard" could have come up with a more cohesive title. But the film is touching in a good way and is worth a watch.
"American Wrestler" begins in 1980 with brutal scenes from the Iran- Iraq war which cost millions of lives on both sides. The United States armed Iraq during this war. Forced into a corner, the Iran revolutionary guard and Ayatollah began to conscript child soldiers into their ranks to fight against Saddam Hussein. During this time, a desperate family smuggles their 17 year old youngest son, a seemingly docile boy named Ali Jahani, out of Iran to an uncle who happens to be residing in a small town in California.
The relative is reluctant to take in Jahani as he is facing his own problems with America's hostility towards people of Iranian descent. He loses his business and faces harassment on a regular basis because of his ethnicity. Ali faces similar hostility in high school. After being ostracized and bullied, Ali decides that he needs to join the school's wrestling team to make friends. Ali immediately becomes a rising star in the team. His uncle considers wrestling as an opportunity for revenge for the mistreatment of Iranian people in America. The uncle is convinced that if his nephew Ali can win against Americans in California, then together they can convince people that Iranians deserve to be treated with equality. Ali and his uncle begin to train together intensely and a strong bond eventually forms.
During one of the training sessions, Ali asks his uncle why he isn't counting his exercise reps. The uncle casually replies by saying, " What, are you Lebanese? You want to drive a Mercedes while your children starve? Now you want others to think you are strong when you know you are weak. Count for yourself. Cheat if you don't care to win". Ali takes such lessons to heart. But after an unseen accident disqualifies him for his final wrestling championship match, Ali has to recruit the help of his new American friends to eventually go on to become a champion. The film ends on a positive not and even shows scenes of the real-life Ali wrestling in his prime. "American Wrestler: The Wizard" could have come up with a more cohesive title. But the film is touching in a good way and is worth a watch.