AMERICAN COUP
Director Joe Ayella
Countries United States
Duration 97 min
Synopsis
AMERICAN COUP recounts what motivated the CIA in 1953 to topple Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, and its nascent democracy. The coup would be the first ever carried out by the spy agency, and would serve as a model for future coups - including the following year in Guatemala. Moreover, the coup continues to cast a long shadow over the tense relationship presently existing between the U.S. and Iran. The film combines rare archival footage, stills and other material with interviews of esteemed academics, authors, and participants. Interviewees include Stephen Kinzer (All The Shah's Men), Prof. Ervand Abrahamian, Ted Koppel (Nightline), Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former hostages who later became ambassadors, and members of the CIA and NSC (National Security Council). Concludes with footage taken in Iran relating to the June 2009 election, and notes the comparison between the 1953 coup and the apparent theft of the 09 election. The recent Iranian footage was shot by James Longley, Oscar-nominated for his previous film, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS.
AMERICAN COUP recounts what motivated the CIA in 1953 to topple Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, and its nascent democracy. The coup would be the first ever carried out by the spy agency, and would serve as a model for future coups - including the following year in Guatemala. Moreover, the coup continues to cast a long shadow over the tense relationship presently existing between the U.S. and Iran. The film combines rare archival footage, stills and other material with interviews of esteemed academics, authors, and participants. Interviewees include Stephen Kinzer (All The Shah's Men), Prof. Ervand Abrahamian, Ted Koppel (Nightline), Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former hostages who later became ambassadors, and members of the CIA and NSC (National Security Council). Concludes with footage taken in Iran relating to the June 2009 election, and notes the comparison between the 1953 coup and the apparent theft of the 09 election. The recent Iranian footage was shot by James Longley, Oscar-nominated for his previous film, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS.