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.

Middle East

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