Expired July 1, 2021 3:45 AM
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Followed by a recorded Q&A with filmmaker Taghi Amirani, actor Ralph Fiennes and editor Walter Murch in conversation with Academy Award®-winning documentarian Michael Moore.


Ten years in the making, COUP 53 tells the story of the 1953 the Anglo-American coup d'état that overthrew Iran's government under Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah. While making a documentary about the coup, Iranian director Taghi Amirani and Academy Award®-winning editor Walter Murch (APOCALYPSE NOW, THE CONVERSATION, THE ENGLISH PATIENT) discover extraordinary, never-seen-before archive material, hidden for decades. The 16mm footage and documents not only allow the filmmakers to tell the story of the overthrow of the Iranian government in unprecedented detail, but also lead to explosive revelations about dark secrets buried for 67 years. What begins as a history documentary about four days in August of 1953 turns into a live investigation, taking the filmmakers into uncharted cinematic waters. The roots of Iran's volatile relationship with Britain and America have never been so forensically and dramatically exposed. In an inspired bit of hybrid documentary filmmaking, the film features Academy Award®-nominated actor Ralph Fiennes performing from the transcripts of former MI6 agent Norman Derbyshire, to recreate the bombshell revelations Derbyshire made in his long-supressed interview. Winner, Most Popular International Documentary Film, 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival. Official Selection, 2019 Telluride and London film festivals; 2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival.


Courtesy of Amirani Media.

  • Year
    2019
  • Runtime
    118 minutes
  • Language
    English, Persian, Italian
  • Country
    United Kingdom, Iran
  • Rating
    NOT RATED
  • Note
    With English subtitles.
  • Director
    Taghi Amirani
  • Screenwriter
    Taghi Amirani, Walter Murch
  • Producer
    Taghi Amirani
  • Cast
    Ralph Fiennes