A documentary film focusing on the first woman elected to a rural Iranian village council has been awarded the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار), directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, chronicles the experiences of Sara Shahverdi as she challenges patriarchal traditions and advocates for women’s rights.
The film premiered at Sundance on January 27, 2025, and follows Shahverdi’s efforts to empower women in her community by training them to ride motorcycles and working to prevent child marriages. Khaki, who previously worked as an editor in Brooklyn, explained during a post-premiere Q&A that she returned to Iran after 15 years to document Shahverdi’s story. “I wanted to tell a story of a woman who never left her country, and stayed in her village, and wanted to make a difference, and stand for the rights of the women and girls,” she said.
Cutting Through Rocks opens with Shahverdi physically dismantling barriers – repairing a metal gate by cutting through a stone wall – a visual metaphor for her broader efforts. The film then depicts her navigating a landscape of resistance, including a confrontation with her brother over inheritance rights, highlighting the entrenched gender inequalities within her family and community.
The directors emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, noting that their recent marriage was a direct result of the necessity to gain access to different segments of the community. Eyni, who is from the same region as Shahverdi, explained that his local knowledge and connections were crucial to building trust with villagers. “I’m from the community, so I grasp the language, traditions, everything, so it was a good collaboration,” he said. Gaining access required a seven-year commitment to the project.
Eyni also expressed a sense of responsibility to amplify the voices of women in Iran, stating that his own career as a filmmaker would not have been possible for a woman in the same circumstances. The film portrays the challenges faced by young girls who are inspired by Shahverdi but often encounter significant opposition and even violence when pursuing their own aspirations.
Shahverdi was unable to attend the Sundance premiere due to visa issues. However, Khaki informed the audience that Shahverdi’s term on the council was “really successful” and that she has since launched a carpet-cleaning business in her village, recognizing the need to alleviate the burdens of domestic labor for women.
Cutting Through Rocks received a nomination for Best Documentary at the 98th Academy Awards. The film has also screened at several international film festivals, including Visions du Reél, the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, International Film Festival Amsterdam, DOC NYC, and Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. As of February 25, 2026, the film’s box office revenue stands at $7,066.
