DocFest: Cutting Through Rocks
October 19, 2025
The first elected councilwoman of a remote Iranian village sparks a movement—and mounting backlash—when she urges the area’s young women to question long-held patriarchal traditions in this Sundance award-winning documentary.
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Tickets
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Sunday, October 19, 2025
From the moment we meet Sara Shahverdi, she is the embodiment of perseverance and strength; a fearless maverick determined to boldly disrupt her village’s entrenched norms, teaching girls to ride motorcycles, advocating against child marriage, and insisting that women secure deeds to their homes. A natural leader, she also invests in the broader community, improving access to electricity and public spaces. But her defiance of patriarchy invites relentless resistance, including shocking legal challenges, and stunning betrayals from her own council colleagues and family. Filmed over seven years, co-directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni’s extraordinary vérité portrait reveals Shahverdi’s unwavering determination alongside moments of heartbreak, isolation, and joy. The result is an both intimate and urgent chronicle of one woman’s fight to redefine what is possible for the next generation.
- Original Language Title: اوزاک یوللار
- Director: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
- Country: Iran, Germany, USA, Netherlands, Qatar, Chile, Canada
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 95 min.
- Producer: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
- Cinematographers: Mohammaderza Eyni
- Editors: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
- Music: Karim Sebastian Elias
- Website: Official Film Website
- Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2025 (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary)
- Language: Azeri Turkish, Farsi
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: Autlook