Cutting Through Rocks

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.

Awards:
2025 Sundance Film Festival - Grand Jury Award for World Cinema Documentary
New Zealand Film Festival - Best Documentary & Audience Award
Visions Du Réel - Audience Award
Woodstock Film Festival - Leon Gast Award for Best Feature Documentary

Press:
“Uniquely propulsive… Practically magical.”
— VARIETY
“Profoundly inspiring… elevates simple moments to cinematic poetry.”
— HAMMER TO NAIL
“A poignant profile of an unlikely but exceptional leader.”
— MOVEABLE FEST

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