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… A deftly shaped work of cinematic nonfiction.”
— Lauren Wissot, Indiewire
“Unforgettable.”
— Thom Powers, Pure Nonfiction-Doc Voices
“A poignant profile of an unlikely but exceptional leader.”
— Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest
“Groundbreaking.”
— Aviva Dove-Viebahn, Ms. Magazine
Cutting Through Rocks Press Highlights
Cutting Through Rocks Wins Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary
Indiewire:
Cutting Through Rocks is “majestic… precisely lensed A deftly shaped work of cinematic nonfiction”
Sundance Grand Jury Winner Cutting Through Rocks Acquired by Autlook Ahead of Berlinale
POV Magazine:
“One of those profound vérité documentaries that are only possible through the perseverance of the filmmakers”
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
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
02.26.2025 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”
06.30.2025 Variety Oscars 2026 Early Contenders to Watch