Still from Cutting Through Rocks (2025), by Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki.
Still from Cutting Through Rocks (2025), by Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki.
Cutting Through Rocks
Directed by Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki (Iran, Netherlands, USA, Germany, Qatar, Chile, and Canada, 2025, 95 min.). Azerbaijani, Turkish, and Farsi with English subtitles.
A vivid portrait of gender, power, and perseverance, Cutting Through Rocks follows Sara Shahverdi—the first woman ever elected to the council of her remote Iranian village—through eight turbulent years of advocacy and resistance. A 37-year-old former midwife, motorcycle devotee, and recent divorcée, Sara is determined to upend entrenched patriarchal norms by teaching local girls to ride motorcycles, fighting to end child marriage, and pushing for shared home ownership and educational opportunities.
Her bold efforts earn her admiration, suspicion, and, eventually, accusations that threaten to undermine her mission. As filmmakers Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki trace Sara’s rise as a grassroots leader, they reveal both the transformative promise and steep personal costs of championing change in a community where tradition still rules everyday life. An official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival; nominated for Documentary Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Wheelchair accessible
With English subtitles
Ticket Information
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