Director: Mehrdad Oskouei / Iran / 2025 / 77 mins
At just 16, Soraya is already creating stunning drawings and sculptures that are as beautiful as they are dark. A strong-willed Afghan artist, she has been trying for five years to find a way out of Iran to join her mother in Austria.
This subtly textured self-portrait interweaves scenes of her escape attempts to cross the border, with political news from Afghanistan and her self shot videos that detail her life, marred in many ways, but in particular by the shadow of her violent husband.
Mehrdad Oskouei directed this film entirely remotely, with Soraya filming all the footage herself over five years using her phone. This material is interspersed with shots of her drawings and animations; key to who she is.
Many of her drawings feature recurring figures: a loyal fox that is her traveling companion and a pink moon that always watches over her. It all combines to make a remarkably direct, personal and engaging film.
“Assembled from five years’ worth of cell phone footage shot by its subject Soraya – interspersed with surreal animations based on her artwork… this film is a rare and valuable first-hand account.” – The Guardian
Winner, Best Film – IDFA Amsterdam 2025
Grand Prix Jury – Pordenone Docs Fest 2025
