"Ambassade": The Power of Quiet Diplomacy – Then and Now

In November 1979, the seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran marked the beginning of a 444-day hostage crisis. In Ambassade (2019), Swiss director Daniel Wyss follows two former Swiss diplomats who were posted in Tehran at the time as they return to the events they lived through. The film takes viewers across Switzerland, Iran and the United States, and reveals the discreet work of Swiss diplomacy behind one of the defining crises of the late Cold War. It is also a reminder of how much individual people matter in large diplomatic processes.

The screening (in French with English subtitles) will be followed by a discussion on the role of diplomacy, yesterday and today, in addressing current global challenges.