Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) said Friday it has acquired all rights in North and Latin America, Asia (excluding Japan), New Zealand, Turkey, Portugal and international carriers to the Cannes Film Festival documentary. Training for the revolutionthe debut feature film by actress-turned-director Pegah Ahanjarani.
The first show in the festival’s specials section is “Deeply Personal.” [film] “It was praised by audiences and critics alike,” SPC said. It also won the L’Oeil d’Or or Golden Eye on Friday, an award given to the best documentary at the festival.
The film’s synopsis explains: “Through five portraits of relatives and mentors, and five expressions of resistance, Ahanjarani paints the story of her life. Drawing on personal archives, home videos, footage of street protests, newspapers, and recorded voices, she retraces more than 40 years of Iran’s history. From the early days of 1979, to the war that began in 2026, she brings together intimate and collective memories, forming a portrait of a country shaped by political repression and in the perpetual hope of revolution.”
Training for the revolution It was written and directed by Ahanjarani and edited by Arash Ashtiani, with co-writers Ehsan Abdipour, Amir Ahmadi Arian, Arash Ashtiani and Majid Nissi. The film was produced in collaboration with Media Nest in the Czech Republic and Fasten Films in Spain.
The deal was negotiated between Sony Pictures Classics and The Party Film Sales on behalf of the filmmakers.
THRA review described the film as a “powerful documentary self-portrait”. [that] It spans decades of resistance and oppression in Iran. The review noted: “Ahnajrani’s dark historical self-portrait also looks forward to a time, perhaps not too far in the future, when all the revolutions she has rehearsed will finally lead to real revolution, and things in Iran will change for the better.”
He highlighted: “Training for the revolution It is a cautionary tale about speaking out in a place where rebellion can cost you your livelihood, and perhaps your life. It is also the desperate story of a family who lost many of their loved ones to a regime they initially supported, and even fought for, in a long and brutal war, only to find their affiliations betrayed by tyranny.
