May 16, 2026 11:12am PT

‘Rehearsals for a Revolution’ Review: A Perceptive, Poignant Chronicle of Great Hopes and Even Greater Disappointments

Prominent Iranian actress-turned-docmaker Pegah Ahangarani offers her compelling personal perspective on Iran and its discontents.

Alissa Simon

Plus Icon

Alissa Simon

Film Critic

Latest

‘Rehearsals for a Revolution’ Review: A Perceptive, Poignant Chronicle of Great Hopes and Even Greater Disappointments

32 minutes ago

‘Think Good’ Review: French Canadian Thesp Monia Chokri Convinces as a Jewish Wife Trapped in a Toxic Relationship

9 hours ago

‘Happy Birthday’ Review: Egypt’s Oscar Submission Is an Accomplished Debut About a Young Cairo Girl’s Difficult Life

3 months ago

See All

Courtesy of The Party Film Sales

Rich in political and cultural resonance as well as contemporary relevance, the documentary essay “Rehearsals for a Revolution” marks a promising feature debut for Iranian actress-turned-helmer Pegah Ahangarani. Her compelling personal perspective on 40-plus years of post-Revolutionary Iran provides a chronicle of great hopes and even greater disappointments. In it, she plays with the Iranian concept of yād, which encompasses both memory and how the past returns to mark the present. A quality choice for festivals and broadcasters, it is especially notable for the abundant visual and aural archives she accesses, the poetic, allusive editing and her beautifully modulated narration.