A Revolution, Televised.
More than four decades after the 1979 Revolution, we showcase the work of filmmakers who captured the atmosphere of the time. ‘A Revolution, Televised’ is a collection of documentaries by Iranian, European, and Arab filmmakers whose works explore the nexus between the personal and the political, to question the boundaries between perception and reality, and show how cinema itself became part of the broader socio-political fabric of society.
In this collection, Docunight proudly presents the films of distinguished Iranian and international directors, filming and crowd-documenting the turbulent weeks and months of the revolution, depicting its social and cultural impact, and tracing its national and international legacy throughout the years.
To provide our audience with the best viewing experience possible, Docunight has worked on improving the quality of some of these important films which will be screened in their enhanced format for the first time at ‘A Revolution, Televised’.
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Iranian Women's Liberation Movement, Year Zero
جنبش آزادی زنان ایران - سال صفر
Directed by Claudine Mulard • 1979 • France
"Mouvement de Libération des Femmes Iraniennes, Année Zéro"
In 1979, Iranian Women invite the American feminist Kate Millett to celebrate March 8, the International Women's Day, in Tehran. On March 7, the religious leader... -
First Case, Second Case
قضیه شکل اول، شکل دوم
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami • 1979 • Iran
This banned and rarely seen pseudo-documentary by Kiarostami is a testimony to his seldom acknowledged political shrewdness and his objective, complex perspective on the tumultuous events of the late 70s in Iran, culminating in the ... -
Iran, Utopia in the Making
ایران، آرمانشهر در تکاپو
Directed by Jocelyne Saab • 1980 • Lebanon
The Iranian revolution leads to the Shah’s downfall and installation of the Islamic Republic. Avoiding the more sensational elements of the news this film questions Iranian society as a whole to try to understand what this wave o... -
Rites of Spring
آداب بهاری
Directed by Ali Asghar Agahbanaei • 1982 • Iran
An experimental documentary that takes world-building to an entirely new level, Rites of Spring showcases fragments of Iran’s history before, during, and after the Revolution of 1979. It begins with scenes of daily life, working-class peo... -
Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution
ایران: یک انقلاب سینمایی
Directed by Nader Takmil Homayoun • 2006 • Iran
Throughout the twentieth century, Iranian filmmakers never ceased to fight against monarchical and then Islamic power. From this confrontation, an original cinematography emerged and is today exported worldwide. This documen... -
Night Story
قصه شب
Directed by Abbas Amini • 2008 • Iran
A short documentary by Abbas Amini investigates the Cinema Rex fire in Abadan on the 30th anniversary of that tragedy. -
Into Thin Air
گم و گور
Directed by Mohammadreza Farzad • 2010 • Iran
A short documentary film about the bloody massacre of innocent Iranian people in the birth month of the director, September 8 of 1979. it concentrates on a less than minute horrifying footage of the bloody killing of people who were unaware o... -
TV 1979
تلویزیون ۵۷
Directed by Susan Bayani • 2011 • Iran
This documentary composed entirely of archived footage, tells the story of the Iranian Television Broadcast employees’ 99 days strike in reaction to the imposition of martial law during the 1978-79 Iranian revolution and the appointment of a Roya... -
Blames & Flames
فالگوش
Directed by Mohammadreza Farzad • 2012 • Iran
In 1978, on the verge of the revolution, more than 130 cinemas burned down across Iran, including 28 in Tehran. Who set them on fire, how was it done, and why? -
Before The Revolution
قبل از انقلاب
Directed by Dan Shadur • 2013 • Israel
Today they may be sworn enemies, but in the 60s and 70s thousands of Israelis lived in Iran. Protected by arms deals and complex financial ties, the Israelis enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, wilfully blind to the corruption they supported. But in... -
Seconds of Lead
ثانیههای سربی
Directed by Seyed Reza Razavi • 2013 • Iran
While conducting research for her new book about the events of 8 September 1978, when dozens of demonstrators were killed by the Shah’s army, Iranian novelist Narges Abyar comes across a documentary which includes an interview with a cine... -
Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran's Ultimate Party
مهمانی بزرگ شاه
Directed by Hassan Amini • 2016 • Iran
In 1971, the Shah of Iran, the self-proclaimed 'king of kings', celebrated 2,500 years of the Persian monarchy by throwing the greatest party in history. Money was no object - a lavish tent city, using 37km of silk, was erected in a specially... -
Radiograph of a Family
رادیوگرافی یک خانواده
Directed by Firouzeh Khosrovani • 2020 • Norway/Iran/Switzerland
“Mother married a photo of Father,” says director Firouzeh Khosrovani in the opening of this deeply personal documentary. She’s not speaking metaphorically though. Her mother Tayi literally married a portrait o...
