Winter is approaching in the remote Iranian Zagros Mountains, and 16-year-old Sogol lives a fragile life on the edge of childhood and adulthood. Her family’s existence, rooted in nature and sustained by tradition, is shaped by patriarchal customs and the pressures of a changing world.

Though she lacks a formal education, Sogol dreams of a different future for her younger family member Delaram, believing education can break the cycle of tradition and offer new possibilities. Sogol dares to imagine a future beyond the mountains for Delaram, but delicate dreams can be easily lost in the harsh wilderness.

“It’s Winter” offers a rare look into a disappearing way of life, capturing the rhythms of the seasons and the rugged beauty of the landscape. This film is a sensitively told portrait of a family holding on, and of a young woman daring to imagine more.

Mike Arnott