Cutting Through Rocks

Local title
Läbi halli kivi
Original title
اوزاک یوللار
Director
Mohammad Reza Eyni, Sara Khaki
Country
Qatar, Chile, Canada, Netherlands, Germany
Year
2025
Programme
Best of Docs
Genre
Biographical
Subject
women, politics, human rights

As the first elected councilwoman of her deeply conservative Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi – a divorced, motorcycle riding, former midwife – stands out. Tenacious and not easily intimidated, Sara is determined to uplift her community and put an end to the empty promises and laziness perpetuated by local councilmen over the years. But it is as an advocate for the girls and women in her village where she encounters the greatest opposition. Among other things, she aims to break long-held patriarchal traditions by training teenage girls to ride motorcycles and stopping child marriages. When accusations arise questioning Sara’s intentions to empower the girls, her identity is put in turmoil.

The film won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director
Mohammad Reza Eyni, Sara Khaki
Screenwriter
Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
Cast
Sara Shahverdi
Producer
Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
Cinematographer
Mohammadreza Eyni
Composer
Karim Sebastian Elias
Sound
Miguel Hormazabal
World sales
Autlook Flmsales
Runtime
Language
Azerbaijani
Subtitles
English
Other festivals
Warsaw, Vancouver

Screenings

9th Hall Apollo Kino Plaza
Screening030914 / Läbi halli kivi
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
2. Hall Apollo Kino Tasku, TARTU
Screening073218 / Läbi halli kivi
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
2nd Hall Apollo Kino Plaza
Screening100215 / Läbi halli kivi
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration