Iran Screening: An Iranian Odyssey – Mossadegh, Oil and the 1953 CIA Coup

In 1951 Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh tried to end
British domination of Iran. Mossadegh nationalized Iranian oil which
had been monopolized by a single British company, BP, for more than
forty years. Mossadegh had to fight against a virtual alliance of
foreign and domestic enemies. They undermined him in a struggle for
power and control of oil. A struggle which culminated in a coup d’etat
plotted and carried out by the CIA in August 1953.

More than five decades later it is impossible to understand Iran
without understanding Mossadegh’s victories and failures. Through
exclusive access to eye-witnesses and the characters of the story in
Iran, UK and the US as well as never before seen archival material Maziar Bahari tells the gripping story of the rise and fall of Mossadegh.

An Iranian Odyssey demystifies the current perception of Iran
as an irrational and erratic pariah state. The film is not only a
historical documentary. It is a relevant modern story that clearly
tells the reasons behind the current stand-off between Iran and the
West.

Length: 50 mins