AroView: An Oscar-nominated documentary that spent eight years with Sara Shahverdi, the first ever female elected councillor in rural Iran.

A fearless woman who literally wears the pants and rides motorcycles, she’s a dynamo of wisdom and inspiration for young women of the village whose usual destiny is to marry in their early teens. But she soon finds smashing through some glass ceilings is one thing but cutting through the rocks of an age-old patriarchy is quite another. Yet the film retains an optimistic glow of what might be possible for Iranian women of the future, and it’s a beautiful thing.

“A beautifully crafted documentary that’s a celebration of the profound ways in which women like Sara Shahverdi can – and do – change the world around them.” ~Sara Clements, Next Best Picture

“Shaverdi is a remarkable woman… Khaki and Eyni wisely choose to portray her as a flawed but passionate, tough, and resilient human being – the rock-cutter of the title.” ~Jonathan Holland, Screen Daily

“A film that pulses with so much hopefulness that when Shahverdi’s story takes a shocking turn, it’s a punch to the solar plexus.” ~Sheri Linden, The New York Times