2026 (Czechia, Spain, Iran, UK) 95 minutes
Directed by: Pegah Ahangarani
Filmmaking seems to run through Pegah Ahangarani’s veins. Her parents are both noted for their work behind the camera, while she’s been a screen actor since childhood, finding stardom at age 15 in 1999’s The Girl in the Sneakers. But in this unique decades-spanning nonfiction, the focus is not on professional history, but on the collision between personal and political spheres. Assembled entirely from preexisting footage and errata, it charts the often-cruel fates of immediate family, relatives, and mentors from before the 1979 Iranian Revolution—which many hoped would bring liberation—through successive crackdowns on dissent under the Islamic Republic. Some ultimately fled the country; others were less fortunate. Complete with harrowing glimpses from the midst of protests violently quelled by police, this first-person account laments a homeland that’s suffered under authoritarian control for the now-exiled director’s entire life. It’s a graceful tally of serial rebellions and disillusionments.
2026 Cannes Film Festival – WON – Golden Eye Documentary Prize
2026 Woodstock Film Festival – WON – Best Documentary Feature
2026 Montclair Film Festival – WON – Best Documentary
Incline Village Cinema – December 3 – 8:15pm