Rehearsals for a Revolution

A poetic Cannes documentary that reveals with stark clarity how civilians bear the brunt of war and revolution.

Through five moving portraits, filmmaker Pegah Ahangarani shows how ordinary people have suffered throughout the successive eras of modern Iran, from the Shah’s brutal rule, through the revolution, to the oppressive clerical regime. Home videos, footage from the run-up to the 1998 FIFA World Cup, press clippings, interviews and other material come together to paint a picture of a people who have never given up hope of a revolution that can bring meaningful change. Ahangarani has crafted an artistically ambitious film that was one of the highlights at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.