The Middle East today might be a far different place were it not for a coup sponsored in 1953 by Eisenhower and Churchill. Under the code name Operation Ajax, the CIA and MI6 secretly plotted the overthrow of the democratically elected president of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, who had nationalized the oil industry, dealing a devastating blow to the English economy. Filmmaker Taghi Amirani had to dig deep to uncover the wild twists and turns of this epochal event, which led to the restoration of the Shah, which led to the Islamic Republic that is now our sworn enemy. Coup 53 unfolds not just as a great history lesson but as a thriller, as the obsessive Amirani uncovers the identity of the mysterious British secret agent Norman Darbyshire, who ran Operation Ajax on the ground. To read his unearthed testimony, Amirani recruited actor Ralph Fiennes, who delivers with mesmerizing results.

In competition for the Best Documentary Award

Director Taghi Amirani is expected to be in attendance on January 7, 8, and 9. Editor Walter Murch is expected to be in attendance on January 7 and 8.