Zsa-Zsa Gulbenkian?

Several friends have drawn my attention to to Wes Anderson’s new film, The Phoenician Scheme. I’ve yet to see it, but apparently there are a number of nods and winks to the business dealings and family affairs of the Anglo-Armenian oil baron Calouste Gulbenkian, whose biography I wrote. All was explained when Anderson gave an interview in which he explained that my book had been his inspiration. Asked if he had been thinking of Agnelli or Kane when dreaming up the figure of Anatole (“Zsa-Zsa”) Korda, Wes Anderson explained that “there is another character that I find more interesting and that is definitive: Calouste Gulbenkian. He is remembered as a philanthropist, but before anything, he was a great capitalist. I don't know if you are familiar with his story, but it is as fascinating as it is terrifying. His activities in the Middle East, mediating in oil agreements, shaped the region and the world. Today's Middle East is, in part, the result of those negotiations and the interaction between capitalism, diplomacy, and governments. He orchestrated much of the map we see today. I'm not an expert, but the book Mr. Five Per Cent by Jonathan Conlin, about Gulbenkian, illustrates how one person's ambition can influence not only their time but also the future. In fact, I borrowed the nickname Mr. Five Per Cent for my character.” Now I can’t wait to see the film, and establish if there are any canaries or cats in it.