Rehearsals for a Revolution
2026 documentary film by Pegah Ahangarani
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Rehearsals for a Revolution (Persian: خاطرات ایران) is a 2026 documentary film directed by Pegah Ahangarani. It follows the recent Iranian history, from its Revolution to the 2026 Iran war, through Ahangarani's personal memories.[1]
- Pegah Ahangarani
- Ehsan Abdipour
- Amir Ahmadi Arian
- Arash Ashtiani
- Majed Neisi
- Kaveh Farnam
- Adrià Monés
| Rehearsals for a Revolution | |
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| خاطرات ایران (Persian) | |
| Directed by | Pegah Ahangarani |
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| Starring | Pegah Ahangarani |
| Edited by | Arash Ashtiani |
| Music by | Anna Andreu |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
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The film had its world premiere at the Special Screening section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May, where it won the L'Œil d'or.[2][3]
Premise
Through five portraits of family members and mentors, and five different forms of resistance, actress and filmmaker Pegah Ahangarani traces the intimate story of her life and, at the same time, of her country. Drawing on personal archives, home movies, recordings of street protests, newspaper reports, and oral testimonies, she reconstructs more than four decades of Iran's history.
From the early days of the Revolution to the war that began in 2026, Ahangarani reassembles a memory that is both personal and collective to shape the portrait of a country marked by political repression and the persistent hope.
Release
The film had its world premiere at the Special Screening Section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May, where it won the L'Œil d'or.[2] It had its North American premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival.[4]
A few days after its Cannes premiere, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the documentary in North and Latin America, New Zealand, Turkey, Portugal and Asia excluding Japan, as well as worldwide airlines.[5] Jour2Fête will handle French distribution, while The Party Film Sales is handling worldwide sales.[3]
Reception
Critical response
Alissa Simon, writing for Variety praised the documentary as a "compelling personal perspective on Iran and its discontents."[6] Similarly Jonathan Romney, for Screendaily, mentions that this film reveals both personal and politically insightful and sums the work up as an "intensely intelligent work."[7] Cédric Succivalli
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 2026 | L'Œil d'or Prize (Best Documentary Prize) | Rehearsals for a Revolution | Won | [8] |
| Golden Globes Documentary Prize Event | Special Jury Award | Rehearsals for a Revolution | Won | [9] |