Winner: L'Œil d'or (Golden Eye) Prize for Best Documentary, 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Celebrated Iranian actor Pegah Ahangarani’s breakout performance came at a young age in THE GIRL IN THE SNEAKERS (1999). Her career flourished over the years, appearing in approximately 40 films before pivoting to stepping behind the camera. Ahangarani’s debut feature is grounded in the Iranian concept of yād—mining memory—through an essayistic form, weaving together home movies, family photographs, and news broadcasts to construct a vivid portrait of Iran’s modern history in the four decades since the revolution.

Balancing the personal with the political, the film unfolds in five chapters, each devoted to a figure who shaped Ahangarani’s life: her revolutionary filmmaker father, Jamshid Ahangarani; her beloved teacher, Shermin Sarra; her uncle, Rashid; her close friend, Amir; with the final section dedicated to her young daughter, Lily. Each chapter confronts seismic turning points in Iranian history—moments when hope and the promise of change were palpable—from the 1997 election of Mohammad Khatami and the 2009 protests to the persistent oppression of the current regime and the ongoing destruction from U.S. and Israeli missiles.

Now living in exile, Ahangarani grapples with her role in the ongoing struggle—one that is resolute and unwavering. She clings fiercely to hope and to the “people who didn’t give up, who rehearsed for the revolution,” remaining steadfast in the fight for justice and freedom.

The winner of Cannes’ L'Œil d'Or documentary prize, REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION skillfully fuses the political with the personal, resonating powerfully with current events.

—Thom Powers, Toronto International Film Festival guide