The shah’s assassination is envisioned in this photograph like a scene from an action film and with elements inspired by The Matrix. Here, however, the two main sections, in which the assassin and the shah each are propelled backward, were photographed separately and then digitally united. The dramatic narrative is enlivened by playful elements such as the Nasir al-Din balloon and the pair of onlooking kittens. A number of women watch the chaos with their children while members of the nobility stand nearby as the shah’s body recoils from the gunshot fired by Mirza Riza Kirmani at point blank range with his cape flying behind him. The black and white angels who once heralded the coronation now fly above the chaos, overseeing the reunion of the cast of characters from the coronation’s musical ensemble into a pivotal moment that will change the political nature of Iran.
