Rehearsals for a Revolution

A revolution’s defeat belongs to all. Its victory belongs to few.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran’s history has been marked by uprisings, shattered hopes and bloody repression. Generation after generation has taken to the streets demanding change, only to face an increasingly ruthless regime. The death toll has climbed from individuals to hundreds, thousands and eventually tens of thousands. Yet hope refuses to die.

Living in exile, filmmaker Pegah Ahangarani weaves Iran’s turbulent history together with the fates of her family and loved ones. Home videos, family photographs, news archives and protest footage trace decades of resistance that have left their scars on entire generations.

Winner of the Best Documentary award at Cannes, Rehearsals for a Revolution tells of revolutions that never delivered on their promises. And of people who, against all odds, still dare to hope.