Cutting Through Rocks
Description
Sara Shahverdi, a brave and independent soul, loves to ride motorcycles, refuses to follow patriarchal norms, and is the first female elected to her rural Iranian village’s council. A natural maverick, Shahverdi takes her leadership role seriously, building new parks and increasing access to fuel and electricity for all. These initiatives are cleverly tied to her insistence that the village’s women be given greater rights and deeds to their homes, leading to heavy backlash. Spearheaded by her own brother, a fellow council member, Shahverdi faces shocking legal challenges and deepening mistrust from her community. Despite these setbacks, she continues to ride in the desert, improve the lives of others, and finds joy in daily discovery. With a patient eye and unobtrusive presence, co-directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni spent seven years documenting the lives of women in Iran. The result is a transcendent vérité portrait of an extraordinary woman effecting change. —Jessie Fairbanks
Biographies
Sara Khaki is the Grand Jury Award winner of the World Cinema Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival for her feature documentary, Cutting Through Rocks. Her co-directed film, Our Iranian Lockdown (2020), streaming on the Guardian, received an IDA nomination. Her co-directed Netflix original, Convergence (2021), received an Emmy nomination. A Chicken & Egg Films and Sundance Alumni, Sara is a director, producer, and editor dedicated to telling stories about gender equity.
Mohammadreza Eyni is the Grand Jury Award winner of the World Cinema Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival for his feature documentary, Cutting Through Rocks. A Sundance and Tribeca Alumni, Mohammadreza is a director, producer, and cinematographer whose career and cinematic approach bridge boundaries, elevating underrepresented voices and connecting diverse perspectives globally. A co-founder of Gandom Films Production L.L.C., Mohammadreza’s works have earned an IDA nomination and international recognition.
