by Billy Newbery
The 12th Persian Film Festival has kicked off with its first film, Cutting Through Rocks. The film centres on the incredibly stirring and empowering tale of a woman named Sara, who lives in a small village still entrenched in old-fashioned beliefs. Despite those traditions, Sara decides to run for a council seat to make a change, becoming the first woman ever to hold such a seat across the surrounding villages. She is quickly thrown into an uphill battle to create a future for the next generation that most don’t want or don’t believe is possible.
We’ve seen this kind of underdog political story before, most famously in a film like the Academy Award-winning Milk (2008). Yet here it feels more vital than before. Swinging from deeply inspiring moments of pure joy to moments so sickeningly painful that the images themselves scream out in desperation for political and cultural change. These moments, both positive and negative, are given real power and presence, as every scene is given a kind of patient breath. We are never rushed away too early to the next moment; instead, we are allowed not just to be observers of this village but to become a part of it. This gives the film space to become elliptical and poetic at times without losing its grounded community feeling. As the film goes on, it starts to feel more and more like an act of defiance in itself, not just the record of one. At times, the camera seems to secretly record, stealing moments at the risk of the filmmaker’s safety. Boldly choosing to stand against the system and in hope for a possible brighter future. It’s as if Sara’s bravery rubs off not just on the townspeople but also on the filmmakers.
The most magical thing about this film to me is that it walks these lines and takes these risks, all while somehow remaining highly accessible. Anyone could easily watch this and engage with it fully. As its more intimate focus and approachable grammar gives the film more space for empathy, allowing anyone with a heart to understand it politically, emotionally, and aesthetically without it losing any of its power.
If you can make the time, try to catch a film at the Persian Film Festival, it runs till the 19th of April. It is more important than ever to pay attention to Iranian voices!Not only has some of the greatest films ever come out of Iran, but some of the greatest art has also too. So, if you can’t make it to the festival, do yourself a favour and find some Iranian films online to watch in your own time; you’ll find yourself rewarded just by watching.