Cutting Through Rocks
| Cutting Through Rocks | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Mohammaderza Eyni |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Karim Sebastian Elias |
Production company | Gandom Films Production |
Release dates | |
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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| Box office | $7,066[2][3] |
Cutting Through Rocks is a 2025 documentary film directed by Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki, in their feature debut. It follows the first Iranian woman elected as a councilwoman in a rural village.[4][5][6]
The film had its world premiere at the World Documentary Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on 27 January. At the 98th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Documentary.
Synopsis
As the first elected councilwoman of her Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi 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.[7]
Sheila Nevins, former head of MTV Documentary Films, serves as one of the film's executive producers, along with Meadow Fund, Chandra Jesse, Monika Parekh, Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Judith Helfand, and Julie Parker Benello.[8]
Release
Cutting Through Rocks had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the World Documentary Competition.[1] Following its Sundance premiere, the film also screened at Visions du Reél, San Francisco International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, International Film Festival Amsterdam, DOC NYC, and Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival.
The film released in the United States at Film Forum on 21 November 2025, followed by a limited theatrical release in the United States, Canada, and the UK.[9] During its release at Film Forum, The New York Times made the film a Critic’s Pick, with film critic Sheri Linden calling it "a film that pulses with so much hopefulness."[10]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 100% rating with 30 critics' reviews.[11] Following its Sundance premiere, Lauren Wissot from IndieWire called the film "a deftly shaped work of cinematic nonfiction" and Autlook Filmsales, one of the leading documentary sales outfits,[12] acquired the film.[13]
On January 31, Cutting Through Rocks received the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, with the Sundance jury saying, "this beautiful and nuanced portrait shows us a fearless eccentric who confronts male-dominated society when she runs for office in a remote Iranian village. Her determination, warmth, and humor and the way her story is told left us in awe."[14]
The film has received dozens awards from festivals across the world. On April 11, during its international premiere, the film was awarded the Audience Award in the Wide Angle section at Visions du Reél in Nyon, Switzerland.[15] Other audience awards at major film festivals include Giffoni Film Festival, New Zealand International Film Festival, and International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Cutting Through Rocks also received the Best Documentary Feature award and the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Directing from Woodstock Film Festival and the Jury Award for Best First Feature at Newport Beach Film Festival.[16]
On December 16, Cutting Through Rocks was featured on the shortlist for the 98th Academy Awards, under the Best Documentary Feature category.[17] Following the shortlist release, the film was featured as number seven on IndieWire's The Best Documentaries of 2025 list.[18]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundance Film Festival | 2025 | Grand Jury Prize, World Documentary Competition | Cutting Through Rocks | Won | [14] |
| Visions du Réel | 2025 | Audience Award, Wide Angle | Won | ||
| Giffoni Film Festival | 2025 | Gryphon Award Best Film, GEX Doc | Won | ||
| Woodstock Film Festival | 2025 | Best Documentary Feature and NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Directing | Won | ||
| International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam | 2025 | NPO Doc IDFA Audience Award | Won | ||
| Cinema Eye Honors | 2026 | Audience Choice Prize | Nominated | [19] | |
| The Unforgettables | Sara Shahverdi | Won | |||
| Academy Awards | 2026 | Best Documentary Feature | Cutting Through Rocks | Nominated | [20] |
References
- ^ a b Lang, Robert (January 27, 2025). "Sundance Film Festival Photos: 'Love, Brooklyn' & 'The Wedding Banquet' Premieres On Day 5". Deadline. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
- ^ "Cutting Through Rocks". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 9, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Cutting Through Rocks – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ Holland, Jonathan. "'Cutting Through Rocks': Sundance Review". Screen. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
- ^ Wissot, Lauren (January 29, 2025). "'Cutting Through Rocks' Review: A Sharp Documentary Profiles a Motorcycle-Loving Woman Who Takes on the Patriarchy in Rural Iran". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
- ^ Adlakha, Siddhant (January 29, 2025). "'Cutting Through Rocks' Review: An Iranian Woman Tries to Change Her Village in a Conflicted Documentary". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
- ^ "Cutting Through Rocks (اوزاک یوللار) | Sundance Film Festival 2025". festivalplayer.sundance.org. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ "Cutting Through Rocks". DC/DOX. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (October 16, 2025). "'Cutting Through Rocks' Trailer: In Oscar-Contending Doc, Maverick Woman Defies Convention In Story That "Resonates Universally"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ^ Linden, Sheri. "'Cutting Through Rocks' Review: The Only Way Out". The New York Times.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Cutting Through Rocks | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (September 10, 2024). "Autlook Filmsales appoints new CEO (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ Barraclough, Leo (February 11, 2025). "Sundance Grand Jury Winner 'Cutting Through Rocks' Acquired by Autlook Ahead of Berlinale (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "The Complete List of 2025 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners | Sundance Film Festival". Sundance.org. January 31, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ Pedersen, Lise (April 11, 2025). "Visions du Réel Crowns 'The Prince of Nanawa' as Grand Prix Winner, 'The Vanishing Point' Claims Burning Lights Award". Variety. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ "Award Winners from the 26th Annual Woodstock Film Festival". Woodstock Film Festival. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ^ "98TH OSCARS® SHORTLISTS IN 12 AWARD CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED". press.oscars.org. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Ben Travers,Anne (December 16, 2025). "The Best Documentaries of 2025". IndieWire. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Pedersen, Erik (November 13, 2025). "Cinema Eye Honors 2026 Nominations: 'Come See Me In The Good Light' Leads Field". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 13, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
- ^ "The 98th Academy Awards | (2026)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2026.