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Coup 53


Ten years in the making, this new documentary by Taghi Amirani and Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The English Patient) uncovers details about the Anglo-American coup d’état that replaced Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the summer of 1953. More than 300 people were rumored to have died, and Iran’s tumultuous history since then—its 1979 Islamic revolution all the way to its current place in geopolitics—can be traced to that summer’s oil-fueled takeover. Yet the British government has never officially acknowledged its role in the coup, and the C.I.A.’s part remains murky. Coup 53 weaves together interviews and animations and introduces previously unseen archival material, its showstopper being the testimony of an M.I.6 operative called Norman Darbyshire, who admits to ordering the killing of Mossadegh’s chief of police. (No longer alive, Darbyshire’s part is read by Ralph Fiennes.) The film is captivating, and 50 percent of its sales go directly to local theaters. (coup53.com) —Julia Vitale

Shoot

Fujifilm Instax Wide 300


If you’re looking for a Polaroid camera, don’t buy one from Polaroid. While the company rendered its name synonymous with instant film, thanks to its frill-less cameras, today it’s caught in a trap of its own making: nostalgic branding and novelty products. (See the MTV, Hello Kitty, and Barbie series.) The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is for photographers who want to shoot instant film with none of that nonsense. With a flash, exposure compensation, two focal lengths, and a wide-angle lens (and wider prints to match), the camera—and its film—comes at a better price, making it the insider’s choice in instant-film photography. ($90, bhphotoandvideo.com) —Alex Oliveira

Hotel Crillon
Stay

The Ritz and the Crillon


Luxury-loving Europeans (and those happy few who are legally permitted to enter the Eurozone) are in for a treat. Two treats, in fact: the Ritz and the Crillon have reopened after a hiatus of nearly six months. (Many of the ultra-luxury hotels remained closed even after lockdown ended, given the dearth of wealthy travelers who comprise the bulk of their patrons.) In a nod to democracy, the Crillon is now offering locals who won’t plunk down for one of its four-figure-a-night suites access to one of the rooftop terraces, which has been transformed into a cocktail bar. (ritzparis.com, hoteldecrillon.com) —Ashley Baker

Sail

Pilar/Wheeler 38


A professor once told me that all of 20th-century American literature can be explained by a simple fact: “Ernest Hemingway was really handsome.” Hemingway’s prose was not for her, but I love Hemingway, the early novels at least. When it comes to his personae, I prefer Papa, as he was known late in life, to the young Paris expat. After departing Gertrude Stein’s salon, Hemingway spent his time getting salty and tan aboard his boat, Pilar, cruising between Key West and Cuba. Built in Brooklyn in 1934, Pilar is probably the most famous fishing vessel in the world. (It was here, after all, that Hemingway shot himself in the leg, missing a shark.) Launching this fall, the Wheeler 38 reproduces the classic look of Hemingway’s motor yacht, with some updates, such as central air. Pilar’s a real beauty, as they say, so her look-alikes will stand apart regardless of their literary association. (brooklinboatyard.com) —Clementine Ford

Issue No. 59
August 29, 2020
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Issue No. 59
August 29, 2020