Pegah Ahangarani Wins the 2026 L’Œil d’or Documentary Award

The eleventh L’Œil d’or jury was chaired by Mstyslav Chernov and composed of Tabitha Jackson, Géraldine Pailhas, Lina Soualem et Victor Castanet.

The jury had 21 films to watch. In addition to the 13 films from the Official Selection: 1 documentary from the Critics’ Week, 3 others from the Directors’ Fortnight, and for the second time, 4 more films from ACID were also invited to compete.

L’Œil d’or 2026
Rehearsals for a revolution
by Pegah Ahangarani

Czech Republic / Spain – 1h35
Production : Medianest, Fasten Films
Distribution : Jour2Fête Distribution
OFFICAL SELECTION – SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Through five portraits of relatives and mentors, five expressions of resistance, Pegah Ahangarani sketches her life story. Drawing from personal archives, home videos, street protests footage, newspapers, and recorded voices, she retraces more than 40 years of Iran’s history. From the early days of 1979, until the war that began in 2026, she pieces together intimate and collective memories, forming the portrait of a country shaped by political repression and in constant hope for a revolution.

The jury is honoured to award the Documentary Prize to « Rehearsals for a Revolution ». This film allows us to enter the intricate and complex reality of contemporary Iran through a braiding of personal, historical, and poetic cinema. In its search to find the language to express the truths of the moment, « Rehearsals for a Revolution » is not afraid to question its own gestures — to doubt itself and to be vulnerable. The jury was struck by the masterful script and vivid, urgent storytelling, and by a filmmaker who carried us through violent waves of history while never losing sight of the value of each individual human life.

Jury's note

Jury’s Special Mention
Tin Castle by Alexander Murphy

France / Irland – 1h46
Production : Goodseed Productions, Samson Films
Distribution : Dulac Distribution
CRITICS’ WEEK

Along a long-forgotten road, the O’Reillys live in a rundown trailer stranded in the middle of the fields. Pa’, Lisa, and their ten children weather the seasons in their tin castle, heirs to a way of life on borrowed time. Under threat of eviction, their tenuous balance falters, yet – steadfast in their tradition – they resist. The children laugh, the dogs bark, the trailer holds on – but for how long?

The jury is honoured to give a special mention to « Tin Castle ». This film captivates us from the very first images and continues to impress us with cinematic craft at its highest level. The filmmakers gaze directed at his heroes and heroines expresses their intimacy without invading it. Through its precisely calibrated perspective « Tin Castle » invites us to reflect on the position and role of the documentary camera and deploys love as a cinematic and political force

Jury's note

Created in 2015 by the Cannes Film Festival and LaScam (French-speaking society for non-fiction authors), L’Œil d’or award each year a documentary presented in the official selections of the Festival. In partnership with INA.
The prize amounts to € 5,000 awarded by LaScam to the winner.

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