Cutting Through Rocks

Sara Shahverdi, a brave and independent soul, loves to ride motorcycles, refuses to follow patriarchal norms, and is the first female elected to her rural Iranian village’s council. A natural maverick, Shahverdi takes her leadership role seriously, building new parks and increasing access to fuel and electricity for all. These initiatives are cleverly tied to her insistence that the village’s women be given greater rights and deeds to their homes, leading to heavy backlash. Shahverdi faces shocking legal challenges—spearheaded by her own brother, a fellow council member—and deepening mistrust from her community. Despite these setbacks, she continues to ride in the desert, improve the lives of others, and find joy in daily discovery. With a patient eye and unobtrusive presence, codirectors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni spent five years documenting the lives of women in Iran. The result is a transcendent vérité portrait of an extraordinary woman effecting change.