Coup 53 screening at UCC sees director Taghi Amirani reunited with his former teacher David Puttnam

Iranian director Taghi Amirani recently brought his extraordinary documentary Coup 53 to UCC. The film, a collaboration with Walter Murch (The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Trilogy), uncovers the secrets of a 1953 military coup in Iran led by British MI6 and backed by the CIA. 

While the Q&A focussed on the years of work Amirani spent investigating the coup and how he faced down attempts to censor the film, there was one stand-out moment. After forty years, Amirani was reunited in person with the mentor who inspired him to pursue a career in film and supported him when attempts were made to suppress his work. Film producer and educator David Puttnam, who has inspired students all over the world, including many at UCC through the Lord Puttnam Scholarship, taught Amirani in 1982 at Bristol University. The two were reunited and, in an emotional moment, both expressed how that educational experience had been transformative. 

You can find more information on Coup 53 here and the Lord Puttnam Scholarship here.