14 January 2022.
By Neptune
CINE-CLUB PERSAN at the Grütli Cinema – January 20, 19h
COUP 53 **** (vo English/French subtitles)
For only one night – Thursday, January 20th – the exceptional documentary, COUP 53 will be screened at the Grütli cinema. Its director, Iranian physicist and filmmaker, Taghi Amirani will be a special guest for a Q&A after this important film about a crucial moment in the modern history of Iran.
As you can gather from the title, it concerns the coup-d’état instigated by Britain and the U.S.A. in 1953 against Iran’s democratically-elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadeg, who had managed to finally nationalize Iranian petroleum from the decades-long control of the British.
Amirani has mounted a thorough exploration of all sides of this history-bending event through in-depth interviews with those who had intimate connections with the affair, re-created some of the happenings and even brought in actor Ralph Fiennes to play the key Englishman involved in the coup. This is both a factual and stunning expose.
As it is only for one evening and an exceptional film, please reserve your tickets in advance on the Grütli Cinemas website.
ADIEU MONSIEUR HAFFMANN *** (vo French)
Paris, 1942, in the midst of the German occupation of the city. A successful Jewish jeweller (Daniel Auteuil), with wife and children, begins to realize the dangers of remaining in the capital, as he sees too many of his friends being taken away. He manages to smuggle his family out and is ready to leave himself, giving his business over to his assistant (Gilles Lellouche) until they can return in safer times.
But as escape conditions have tightened, he ends up having to hide in the basement of his own house. In the meantime the assistant and his wife have moved in and have become legitimate owners of the shop.
Obviously, the arrangement is not easy for any of the three – the assistant’s wife (Sara Giraudeau) feels increasingly guilty, the assistant is being courted by the German officers for his inventive jewels (which are really Haffmann’s creations) and Haffmann is becoming anxious and suspicious of the shady happenings above his head.
This broad metaphor for so many of the tragedies that happened during WWII is both tautly and movingly developed by director Fred Cavaye, based on a play of the same title. With excellent acting and atmosphere it is reminiscent of Joseph Losey’s unforgettable “Monsieur Klein” from 1976. Bouleversant, as they say in French.
For more reviews click here.
Superb **** Very Good *** Good ** Mediocre * Miserable – no stars
By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
