PalCinema Review: Cutting Through Rocks

The current Oscar-nominated documentary looks at one woman's fight for rights in Iran.

March 6, 2026

FILM: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS

DIRECTED BY: MOHAMMADREZA EYNI, SARA KHAKI

STARRING: SARAH SHAHVERDI

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

By Dan Pal

One of the surprise nominees this year for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar, Cutting Through Rocks, is the first such film from Iran to receive the honor. Now, amid a war with the U.S. and Israel, and potential revolution in the country, such a film is crucial in understanding some of the struggles faced by its citizens. In this case, it is women. In a remote village in the northwestern part of the country, Sarah Shahverdi is attempting to break the long-standing role of women as wives and mothers. Over the course of the film, we experience her highs and lows as she tries to educate and instill a different kind of life for younger women.

When we first meet Sarah, she is doing manual work on a troublesome gate. She’s working alone and in command of the necessary tools at her disposal. We then see her wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle. Yet, like all the women in the area, her head must be covered. Unlike some of the women in another Oscar-nominated film though, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, they don’t have the luxury or power to walk or travel through the village without a hijab. That film suggests there are women in the country who have taken serious risks under the regime that has been in power for 47 years. They’re tough and proud of who they are. However, in Cutting Through Rocks, we see that the struggle for women is far from over in more rural communities.

43-year-old Sarah is an anomaly in her part of the country. Her father, who died when she was a teenager, allowed her to be who she was. He let her dress the way she wanted to and taught her skills not typically taught to young women. When the film begins, Sarah is divorced and running for a council seat in her village which has never had a woman in such a position of power. Sarah is also a staunch supporter of women’s rights. During one scene she visits an elementary school and convinces the girls in one class to sign a document promising that they will not marry young and will instead continue their education. It becomes clear that this is far out of the ordinary. Shockingly, girls as early as 11 and 12 years old are being forced to marry men twice their age. One of them is already in the process of divorcing her husband. Few of these girls are allowed to keep studying.

As such, Sarah becomes a force to be reckoned with, not only for the girls but also for men in town who have problems with her power. However, Sarah has an agenda. She wants gas lines to run to people’s homes. She wants women to be co-owners of their homes. She doesn’t want young girls to be forced to marry at a young age. All this leads to run-ins with family members and other local authorities who want to strip her of her power. They suggest she should get married and not cause trouble. They also offer another solution, which must be seen to be believed because it is so extreme that even Sarah reaches her limits.

Cutting Through Rocks is a very well-made film on several levels. First and foremost is the cinematography. Cameras seem to be everywhere, including in private homes and during major disputes. They also capture the absolute beauty of this rural region of the country through a series of breathtaking wide shots at various points during the day.

The film also offers an extremely powerful and revealing look at how women have been treated in Iran. It’s quite sobering, suggesting that they may only hope for small successes before anything major will change. We, of course, have no idea how the current war there will affect the people who have lived under these rules and traditions for almost 50 years. I wouldn’t dare take sides in this war effort but it’s clear the rights of women have not been properly addressed under the now toppling regime.

As much as I have admired the advances it appears women have made as shown in films such as It Was Just an Accident, this one really shows that any revolution for them will require a LOT of work in the present and future.

Cutting Through Rocks is playing limited theatrical release.

What do you think? Will you seek this one out?

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