About the film Coup 53 : a conversation with Taghi Amirani and Walter Murch

While making a documentary about the coup against Mossadegh in Iran in 1953, director Taghi Amirani and editor Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The English Patient) discover hidden  documents that lead to explosive revelations about secrets buried for 67 years. Who was behind Operation Ajax, which overthrew one of the most intriguing political figures in recent history?

Coup 53 was written as the revelations unfolded, over the course of striking interviews, most of which were conducted in the Geneva region, where many witnesses or their families are exiled. With twice as many rushes as Apocalypse Now on his table, Walter Murch spent several years editing the film, working parallel to Amirani's investigative work. They developed the key narrative elements of the film in a four-handed writing process.

Since its release, this extraordinary documentary has proved a resounding success both in the UK and the United States, where it has been selected in the most important festivals, as well as in Iran, where it  just won the prestigious Silver Phenix Award for Best Documentary at the Fajr Festival. A look back at both a powerful film and a crucial moment whose consequences on regional and world politics are still visible today.

The conversation will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation into French.

Coup 53

by Taghi Amirani

Edited by the legendary Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now) and featuring Ralph Fiennes, Coup 53 weaves a thrilling investigation into the heart of a watershed event in contemporary geopolitics: the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 by MI6 and CIA, codenamed Operation Ajax. Who carried out the operation? To what end? Delve into an historical exploration of the highest calibre, shot in 7 countries, including Switzerland.

Avalaible online and on demande between the 5 and 14 March 2021
 

WATCH THE FILM

Our selection of articles to delve deeper into the subject:

• Coup 53 — compelling attempt to fill holes in Iran’s history - Financial Times, 12 August 2020