Riveting, provocative and revelatory, Coup 53 plays out like one of John le Carré’s spy thrillers and is one of the most important and relevant documentaries of our time.
10 years in the making, the film – a meta textual account – seeks to uncover the past and expose the underhandedness that went into staging a coup d’état, by British and American forces, in 1953 Iran- overthrowing the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mossadegh, reinstating the Shah as head of the state, and ultimately leading to the Revolution.
Through a series of video interviews and transcripts – some aired as part of a documentary-series ‘End of Empire’ and some that never saw the light of day, but were carefully preserved – the film’s Director – Taghi Amirani – stitches together an intricate yarn that is gripping, powerful and extremely detailed in both its analysis and its cinematic scope.
This is what documentaries need to be.