Documentary backdrop image for Rites of Spring (1982)

Documentary backdrop image for Rites of Spring (1982)

198236 minPGdocumentary

7.0/ 10(2 ratings)• TMDB

Historical Events Political Polarization

Rites of Spring

198236 minPGdocumentary

7.0/ 10(2 ratings)• TMDB

Scenes of daily life in Iran juxtapose the beauty of rural landscapes with the chaos of the 1979 Revolution and the struggles of working-class people.

Historical Events Political Polarization

Genres

Director

Ali Asghar Agahbanaei

Synopsis

Scenes of daily life in Iran juxtapose the beauty of rural landscapes with the chaos of the 1979 Revolution and the struggles of working-class people.

People

Ali Asghar Agahbanaeidirector

Synopsis

Scenes of daily life in Iran set the stage for Rites of Spring, an experimental documentary directed by Ali Asghar Agahbanaei. The film captures the beauty of rural landscapes and the struggles of working-class people against the backdrop of the 1979 Revolution. As fervent demonstrations erupt, the film contrasts the tranquility of nature with the chaos of political upheaval. In its conclusion, the emergence of birds from their eggs symbolizes hope amid the turmoil of revolution and war.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Divorce Iranian Style (1998)

Divorce Iranian Style

1998•1h16m•★7.1TMDB

Three couples face a judge in an Iranian family court in 1998, where men can divorce without consequence while women risk losing financial support.

Divorce Iranian Style

Traveling Iran by train (2017)

Traveling Iran by train

1,400 kilometers of railway connect the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, revealing Iran's landscapes and the lives of its people.

Traveling Iran by train

Exploring the Heart of Iran and Uzbekistan: Nowruz, Sufis & Traditions (2025)

Exploring the Heart of Iran and Uzbekistan: Nowruz, Sufis & Traditions

A 40-meter-long sextant built by Ulugh Beg in the 15th century allowed for precise calculations of celestial bodies in Samarkand.

Exploring the Heart of Iran and Uzbekistan: Nowruz, Sufis & Traditions

The Secret War between Iran, Israel and the USA (2025)

The Secret War between Iran, Israel and the USA

A war that began over 40 years ago remains officially unacknowledged, pitting Iran against the United States and Israel in a complex conflict.

The Secret War between Iran, Israel and the USA

Wild Iran: Capturing the Untamed (2024)

Wild Iran: Capturing the Untamed

Benny Rebel travels across Iran for six weeks, documenting its diverse wildlife and habitats, including the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah.

Wild Iran: Capturing the Untamed

Iran's Next Revolution? Inside The Fight for Freedom (2025)

Iran's Next Revolution? Inside The Fight for Freedom

Courageous women in Iran are risking everything to challenge a restrictive regime, igniting widespread social unrest and a powerful desire for change!

Iran's Next Revolution? Inside The Fight for Freedom

Wild Iran - To the South (2022)

Wild Iran - To the South

Less than 100 Asiatic cheetahs remain in the wild, primarily in Iran, where Benny Rebel aims to document their habitat and raise awareness for their protection.

Wild Iran - To the South

The Square: Egypt At War (Oscar-Nominated Documentary) (2020)

The Square: Egypt At War (Oscar-Nominated Documentary)

Egyptian revolutionaries during the Arab Spring confront oppressive regimes in a struggle for democracy and human rights, highlighting their bravery and resilience.

The Square: Egypt At War (Oscar-Nominated Documentary)

The Fire Temples Of Iran & Thousand-Year-Old Flames (2019)

The Fire Temples Of Iran & Thousand-Year-Old Flames

A flame that has burned continuously for nearly 2,500 years is found in a Zoroastrian sanctuary deep in the mountains of Iran.

The Fire Temples Of Iran & Thousand-Year-Old Flames

Reformers on Top - Iran (2008)

Reformers on Top - Iran

Reform in Iran is propelled by the youth engaging in illegal activities, challenging the older generation's extreme Islamic sentiments following the 1997 elections.

Reformers on Top - Iran

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History (2019)

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History

The 1918 influenza pandemic killed more people worldwide than combat during World War One.

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi (2025)

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi

In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was a significant religious center where priestesses conveyed prophecies from the god Apollo.

Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi

Explore Rites of Spring

Where else to watch

Divorce Iranian Style (1998)

Divorce Iranian Style

1998•1h16m•★7.1TMDB

Three couples face a judge in an Iranian family court in 1998, where men can divorce without consequence while women risk losing financial support.

Divorce Iranian Style

No digital watch option in your country

Iran and the West (2009)

Iran and the West

2009•1h•★6.3TMDB

Over 100 minutes of interviews and archival footage detail the events leading to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and its impact on Iran's relations with the West.

Iran and the West

Before the Revolution (2013)

Before the Revolution

2013•54m•★7.7TMDB

Thousands of Israelis in Tehran face chaos and uncertainty as their lives change dramatically in the final days before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Before the Revolution

My Stolen Revolution (2013)

My Stolen Revolution

2013•1h15m•★6.0TMDB

In 2013, a filmmaker reflects on her escape from revolutionary Iran and reconnects with fellow survivors amid ongoing protests in Tehran.

My Stolen Revolution

The Green Wave (2012)

The Green Wave

2012•1h20m•★7.7TMDB

Over 100,000 citizens protested in Iran following the disputed 2009 presidential election results, facing government crackdowns and human rights violations.

Woman, Life, Freedom: An Iranian Revolution (2023)

Woman, Life, Freedom: An Iranian Revolution

2023•53m•★7.9TMDB

5 to 8 million members of the Iranian diaspora support a historic uprising sparked by the murder of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022.

Woman, Life, Freedom: An Iranian Revolution

Raving Iran (2016)

Raving Iran

2016•1h24m•★6.6TMDB

Anoosh Rakizade and Arash Shadram, known as Blade&Beard, navigate Tehran's underground electronic music scene while facing police threats and seeking freedom abroad.

A Quest for Meaning (2015)

A Quest for Meaning

2015•1h27m•★7.8TMDB

Two friends travel through cities in America, Europe, and Asia, engaging in conversations about life and happiness over 87 minutes.

A Quest for Meaning

Browse more like this

The Secret War between Iran, Israel and the USA (2025)

The Secret War between Iran, Israel and the USA

A war that began over 40 years ago remains officially unacknowledged, pitting Iran against the United States and Israel in a complex conflict.

The Secret War between Iran, Israel and the USA

No digital watch option in your country

Wild Iran: Capturing the Untamed (2024)

Wild Iran: Capturing the Untamed

Benny Rebel travels across Iran for six weeks, documenting its diverse wildlife and habitats, including the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah.

Wild Iran: Capturing the Untamed

No digital watch option in your country

Iran's Next Revolution? Inside The Fight for Freedom (2025)

Iran's Next Revolution? Inside The Fight for Freedom

Courageous women in Iran are risking everything to challenge a restrictive regime, igniting widespread social unrest and a powerful desire for change!

Iran's Next Revolution? Inside The Fight for Freedom

No digital watch option in your country

Wild Iran - To the South (2022)

Wild Iran - To the South

Less than 100 Asiatic cheetahs remain in the wild, primarily in Iran, where Benny Rebel aims to document their habitat and raise awareness for their protection.

Wild Iran - To the South

No digital watch option in your country

The Square: Egypt At War (Oscar-Nominated Documentary) (2020)

The Square: Egypt At War (Oscar-Nominated Documentary)

Egyptian revolutionaries during the Arab Spring confront oppressive regimes in a struggle for democracy and human rights, highlighting their bravery and resilience.

The Square: Egypt At War (Oscar-Nominated Documentary)

No digital watch option in your country

Stronger Than a Bullet (2017)

Stronger Than a Bullet

2017•1h15m•★8.0TMDB

The Iran-Iraq War began on September 22, 1980, when Saddam Hussein launched an invasion of Iran following the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

Stronger Than a Bullet

Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution (2006)

Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution

2006•1h38m•★6.0TMDB

Iranian filmmakers have earned numerous awards at prestigious film festivals, establishing a prominent presence in global cinema.

Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution

Beijing Spring (2021)

Beijing Spring

2021•1h40m•★6.0TMDB

Hidden 16mm film footage reveals a vibrant art scene in Beijing during the democracy movement from 1978 to 1982, following the Cultural Revolution.

The Road to Terror (1989)

The Road to Terror

1989•52m•★7.0TMDB

Over 50 exiled Iranian revolutionaries in Paris recount their disillusionment following the 1978 Iranian Revolution, which led to widespread terror and executions.

The Road to Terror

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film (1998)

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film

1998•1h28m•★7.6TMDB

Abraham Zapruder's footage of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, is digitally remastered to reveal new details and its impact on public perception.

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →