Join Sundance Collab and BIPOC Doc Editors for an online conversation with the filmmakers of Cutting Through Rocks. Discover their masterclass in distillation: how they sculpted seven years of footage into a briskly-paced, inspiring documentary feature. Don't miss this deep dive into their process.
The discussion brings together the two key collaborators on the film:
- Director, Producer, and Editor Sara Khaki
- Director, Producer, Editor, and Cinematographer Mohammadreza Eyni
Cutting Through Rocks chronicles the life of Sara Shahverdi, the first elected councilwoman in her remote village in northwestern Iran. The film depicts her battles within the conservative community as she fights to empower women and young girls. A divorced, motorcycle-riding feminist, Shahverdi is an iconic documentary subject: fierce, unapologetic, and full of life. Khaki and Eyni’s camera follows her through the ups and downs of fighting for change within a tradition-bound community.
The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary award and has received universal praise during its festival run. Critics have called it “seamlessly edited,” (Screen Daily), “a deftly shaped work of cinematic nonfiction” (Indiewire), and “a beautifully crafted documentary that celebrates the profound ways in which women like Shahverdi can – and do – change the world around them” (Next Best Picture).
In this session, Khaki and Eyni dissect key scenes and discuss their unique approach to co-editing the film. The presentation will conclude with an audience Q&A, where attendees can learn more about how they edited this remarkable documentary feature.
This event was part of the “Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors” series, a program hosted by Sundance Collab in collaboration with BIPOC Doc Editors. Follow these links to watch our previous events in this series which included the films Spermworld, Patrice: The Movie, and Sabbath Queen.
