The film was an entry to the Special Screenings category of the festival.

Amirani and editor Walter Murch find an extraordinary and never before seen archive while making a documentary about the Anglo-American coup in Iran in 1953. Documents and 16mm footage recount this story in unprecedented detail, with explosive revelations about secrets hidden for 66 years. From a historical documentary about four days in August 1953, the film becomes a living investigation that exposes the roots of Iran’s volatile relationship with the United Kingdom and the USA.

“Houbara” by Fathollah Amiri and Nima Askari was the second film on the list.

The documentary warns about the illegal hunting of a specific species of birds, which are then smuggled into the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

These birds, the houbara bustards that live in certain regions of Iran, are being killed so that rich men in Arab countries can improve their sex lives. According to a widespread myth, the meat of these birds has aphrodisiac qualities, although this folk belief is not supported by any valid scientific research.

Source: Tehran Times