‘The Deal With Iran,’ Unpacked by Lennart, Maarten Stuyck

Reality more often than not surpasses fiction: It is yet again the case with “The Deal with Iran”, a three-part Belgian docuseries by Lennart and Maarten Stuyck, shedding light on the little known Belgian-led investigation that thwarted a bomb plot against the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, and the deadly game of hostage diplomacy that followed leading to the liberation of a Belgian humanitarian worker, after 15 months of arbitrary imprisonment. 

Produced by Belgian documentary production company Diplodokus and with VRT Canvas as main Belgian broadcaster, “The Deal with Iran” makes its international premiere at Canneseries on April 28. This “thrilling and remarkably realistic dive into the complexities of global geopolitics,” according to Canneseries artistic direction team, series  one of the many high-quality documentary series produced and commissioned by VRT, Flanders’ public broadcaster. 

“The story had been on our running list of possible ideas for some time,”say director Lennart Stuyck and writer Maarten Stuyck about their gripping plunge into the deadly game of hostage diplomacy. 

“We were intrigued by the notion of an Iranian ‘sleeper cell’ operating in Belgium. But on its own, we felt the story was too small to carry an entire series.” It was only years later, when their Belgian compatriot Olivier Vandecasteele was arrested (or, according to the authors, kidnapped) in Tehran, that the Stuycks realized this was a story they had to tell.

While Lennart has a background in fiction, Maarten studied journalism and history. Combining these different experiences with their mutual family background and shared goals, they have been making documentary series together for almost 10 years. “We love starting our filmmaking process from a small ‘fait divers’: a seemingly minor story that, if you dig deep enough, opens a door into something much bigger and reveals how the world works on a level people rarely think about. Like a matryoshka doll that keeps revealing new layers.”

For “The Deal with Iran,” the spark was Olivier Vandecasteele’s imprisonment, which made Belgian headlines for months. “It was still unfolding as we worked,” remember the duo. “That was a difficult thing to navigate in the beginning, but it was also a gift that we could follow part of the story in real time.” 

But documentaries are more than just news. And the duo were always aiming for something beyond the Vandecasteele’s case, even if they knew many people would be reluctant to watch a series about Iran. “So we approached it as a thriller, an espionage story to pull viewers in, and only then lead them toward the geopolitical layer they might otherwise be less curious about.” 

Lennart Stuyck, series’ director, expanded on how he conceived this retelling in terms of visual style: “For the first episode especially, I drew inspiration from 1970s espionage films, which is why we used so many zooms. We also tried to stay as close to “real” footage as possible: a lot of shaky handheld camerawork, and even cellphone shots when they suited the moment.” 

Text from archives and photographs also played a heavy part in crafting the visual look and feel of this “Deal with Iran.” A choice that felt both powerful and coherent for the duo who were able to view and photograph the original courtroom files and use original audio recordings, among other key archives. “It was incredible, and it gives a sense of realness to the series, which given the subject matter was essential to us. We didn’t want people to be able to dismiss what we made — so the more proof we could put on screen, the better.”

Their approach to sound and music followed the same logic, as the Stuyck brothers wanted the series to feel as seamless as possible. “So people wouldn’t be able to turn it off once they started watching. Our beautiful score was composed by Raf Keunen, with whom we’ve worked several times. I think he created something that is creepy and gripping, intense when it needs to be, but also emotional where the story calls for it.”

When asked if they themselves were ever concerned about their own exposure, Lennart admits that he always felt the Iranian regime wouldn’t be particularly interested in a couple of Belgian guys making a series about this story. “Ignorance is bliss”, he said, “and we’ve had some wonderful responses and reviews, from both a cinematic and a journalistic angle, so we couldn’t be happier. Of course, we’d love to see the series travel far and wide, and the selection at Canneseries is the cherry on top right now”. 

With Iran being on the world stage even more today, this story of hostage diplomacy and diplomatic terrorism remains as relevant as ever. And being able to tell it through documentary was key to the duo, who didn’t envision it in any other medium. “Documentary is a way to tell exciting stories that shed light on aspects of our reality that are sometimes hard to capture in fiction”, concludes Lennart Stuyck. “It’s a cliché, but: this story really is better than fiction. And in a dramatized series, it would be almost impossible to believe.” 

“The Deal with Iran” is a Diplodokus production, backed by VRT Canvas as main broadcaster. Espresso media handles international sales.