What Critics Are Saying
“Profoundly inspiring… elevates simple moments to cinematic poetry.”
— Christopher Reed, Hammer to Nail
“Uniquely propulsive… Practically magical.”
— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety
“Raucously entertaining… I was completely riveted.”
— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
“Remarkable… compelling… An immersive and eye-opening film”
— Gary M. Kramer, MovieJawn
“Profound… only possible through the patience and perseverance of the filmmakers.”
— Barbara Goslawski, POV Magazine
“Precisely lensed… Fast-paced… A deftly shaped work of cinematic nonfiction.”
— Lauren Wissot, Indiewire
“Unforgettable.”
— Thom Powers, Pure Nonfiction-Doc Voices
“The film's structure is a narrative feat in itself: condensing 7 years of footage without losing fluidity or emotional weight.”
— Dionar Hidalgo, Algo Más Que Cine
“Groundbreaking.”
— Aviva Dove-Viebahn, Ms. Magazine
“Builds into an emotional crescendo, culminating in a series of painful defeats and existential questions.”
— Davide Abbatescianni, Cineuropa
“Seamlessly edited.”
— Jonathan Holland, ScreenDaily
“A poignant profile of an unlikely but exceptional leader.”
— Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest
Press Highlights
Cutting Through Rocks Wins Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary
Deadline: ‘Cutting Through Rocks’ Trailer: In Oscar-Contending Doc, Maverick Woman Defies Convention In Story That “Resonates Universally”
Sundance Grand Jury Winner Cutting Through Rocks Acquired by Autlook Ahead of Berlinale
The Guardian:
“Cutting Through Rocks review – the female firebrand fighting the patriarchy in rural Iran”
Cutting Through Rocks Wins Audience Award at Visions du Reél
Variety:
Cutting Through Rocks is “uniquely propulsive, practically magical […] Its fly-on-the-wall quality works wonders “
Cutting Through Rocks Wins Best Documentary, Gex Doc Competition at Giffoni Film Festival in Italy
Cutting Through Rocks Wins Jean-Loup Passek Award for Best Documentary Feature at MDOC in Portugal
Cutting Through Rocks an Unforgettables Honoree & Audience Choice Prize Longlist at Cinema Eye Honors
Additional Press
01.22.2025 Thom Power’s Doc Voices Pure Nonfiction 5 Doc Picks from Sundance
01.22.2025 Film Stage 20 Must-See Films Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
01.23.2025 Newsweek 9 Must-Watch Documentaries at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
01.27.2025 ScreenDaily Review: One woman takes on the patriarchy in a small Iranian village
01.28.2025 The Moveable Fest A Groundbreaking Iranian Politician Gets a Sharp Profile
01.28.2025 Filmmaker Magazine Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni on their Sundance-debuting Cutting Through Rocks
01.29.2025 Doc Voices Sundance Ones to Watch: Cinematographers
01.31.2025 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award, World Cinema: Documentary
Jury citation: “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.”
01.31.2025 Vulture Best Movies We’ve Seen at Sundance 2025
01.23.2025 Newsweek 9 Must-Watch Documentaries at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
02.03.2025 MovieJawn Sundance Film Festival Roundup
02.03.2025 Indiewire Sundance 2025: 11 New Films with the Best Shot at an Oscar Run
02.05.2025 The Spool Review: “Khaki and Eyni take a wistful, verite approach to the material, and wisely so, since it allows us to sit there with Shahverdi as she endures one indignity after another.”
02.26.2025 HammertoNail Review: “Profoundly inspiring… delivers striking images that elevate simple moments to cinematic poetry.”
03.04.2025 Ms. Magazine Review: “A groundbreaking film on rural Iran and a woman who dared to lead”
03.04.2025 Gazettely Review: “Editing carries its signature: the rhythmic cuts accumulate into a narrative that both surprises and provokes thought, offering viewers layers of visual discourse to chew on.”
05.15.2025 Contra Zoom Pod Review: “Immerses us in Sara’s reality and the emotional roller coaster she faces, a byproduct of the masterful editing.”
06.30.2025 Variety Oscars 2026 Early Contenders to Watch
10.16.2025 Deadline Trailer: In Oscar-Contending Doc, Maverick Woman Defies Convention In Story That “Resonates Universally”
10.21.2024 Yahoo Oscar-contending doc Cutting Through Rocks wins top prize at the Woodstock Film Festival
10.23.2025 Indiewire Cutting Through Rocks nominated for Cinema Eye Honors’ The Unforgettables and Audience Choice Prize Longlist
10.24.2025 The Ankler Love Stories: Cutting Through Rocks, Come See Me in the Good Light
10.27.2025 ArtDaily Cutting Through Rocks, Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner opens Nov. 21 at Film Forum