It felt like I was entering the same kind of world as Past Future Continuous but with a much more authentic pay off.

Both are documentaries by Iranian women who have left Iran to live overseas. They reflect on footage of their parents interspersed with wider political imagery of the revolution and war in Iran. They couldn’t be more different though.

Pegah Ahangarani divides her film into five episodes, each one looking at a particular person or event. The first is her father, an idealistic supporter of the revolution as it happens, also someone obsessed with filming what was going on around him.

Through her narration and many photographs and films, she paints a picture of Jamshid and how his idealism falters and falls apart as the realities of the revolution take hold. We understand where the change for freedom turned into something more sinister. It also gives us a glimpse into why the revolution might have come about and also how war up ended the country.

The second episode is her mother, Manijeh Hekmat, who was forced to step up as breadwinner when her husband was absent on the front lines and turned her hand to directing films. I must admit to not being familiar with her but a quick check afterwards shows that she was the director of Bandar Band (2020). This is where we also see Pegah, roped in to play a child in scenes because she was there, setting the pathway to her eventual career as an actor and director.

The third episode is one of the most moving as it is about her uncle who is imprisoned by the regime and can’t cope with the aftermath. Why it stands out is that there was so much sorrow after his death, no photographs have been kept of him. We only have three photos of him as a child and 20 seconds of film footage but Pegah builds this picture around him, filled with the sound of his voice as he obsessively recorded news items on his Sony Walkman for his grandmother whose eyesight was failing.

The fourth episode is where the tension ramps up as we see extended footage shot by Pegah as she attends rallies – peaceful protest that turned violent. Having a first person point of view of what is unfolding gives a sense of urgency and also allows you to understand how it affected every person. You see people pretending to go about their day, even as tear gas was flying, and you can see the need and necessity to keep your head down.

The last episode is the least successful, and Pegah is open about her struggles to complete the film. It feels like the only sentimental moment and a rush to create visual narrative.

Thinking back on Past Future Continuous, this feels so much more engaged in the personal and people other than the filmmaker. It also has a sense of authenticity. This feels like it is much less about Pegah and more about the people of Iran.