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“Making Films in Iran Is Not an Easy Task at All”: Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni on their Sundance-debuting Cutting Through Rocks

A silhouetted Iranian woman is riding a motorcycle against the sunset.Still from Cutting Through Rocks. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni’s Cutting Through Rocks follows Sara Shahverdi, a middle-aged divorcee in a remote and extremely conservative region of the Islamic Republic of Iran. What makes the scenario rather remarkable that Shahverdi is neither pariah nor wallflower in her tiny town. On the contrary, the onetime midwife, who quite literally brought an entire generation of her village into the world, is also a loud motorcycle-riding rebel who ran for a seat at the government table and won. And now, as the first elected councilwoman, a woman who finds herself at the center of an incompetent bureaucracy, one in which the proverbial glass ceiling just might be made of stone.

A few days prior to the film’s World Cinema Documentary Competition debut on January 27th, Filmmaker caught up with the married co-directors to learn all about their seven-year journey with Shahverdi, including staying safe through the “rare knowledge” of their formidable star.

Filmmaker: You discovered Sara Shahverdi while researching female entrepreneurs in Iran. But did you immediately know you wanted to document her specific journey, and was she always onboard? Did you consider following other women?

Khaki and Eyni: When we first heard about Sara Shahverdi we knew there was an urgency and immediacy to her story: A unique woman from northwest Iran who had delivered 400 kids as a midwife, rode motorcycles from a young age (which is taboo there), and now wanted to run for the local council as the first woman ever to do so in the region. Before even heading to her village we had extensive conversations with her. She was always open and seemed really interested, but of course trust had to be built over time. It was really all about mutual respect and getting to know each other better.

Filmmaker: You’ve also noted that access required your two-person team: Sara to penetrate the community of women in the conservative town, Mohammadreza as a native Azeri Turkish speaker. That said, I’m guessing it might still have been difficult for any filmmakers with US ties to shoot a doc in Iran. What bureaucratic hurdles did you have to navigate? Did it take a lot of convincing for folks to agree to appear on camera?

Khaki: Our dual collaboration, navigating access as a male-female team, was indeed key. Without one the other could not have acquired access in the same way we could together.

Although I spent about 15 years in the US, I actually was born and raised in Iran with a deep sense of connection to female Iranian stories. So even though I reside in the US, I was no stranger to the stories and the situations in the village at all. That was immediately understood as soon as we met the women in the community; the access happened so organically without any complication. Also, with Mohammadreza having such a deep understanding of the nuance of the culture, we both knew how to treat the access they provided us with respect.

Eyni: Making films in Iran is not an easy task at all. A filmmaker has to handle so many things that are not related to the film itself, having just to explain what it is that we’re doing. We needed to acquire specific permissions, but even after getting the permissions there is no guarantee that no one will question or stop you from filming. Also, within the community some locals questioned our intentions, though, as time passed, all the locals accepted us as “the people with cameras.”

Sara Shahverdi’s presence was crucial in gaining access to the community in the way that we did. The most important aspect was her trust in us and what we intended to do as filmmakers; that trust and her presence opened doors to places that were not possible otherwise.

Filmmaker: Not only are you married co-directors, but you’re also co-producers and co-editors (with Mohammadreza credited as DP). So what were the challenges of handling every aspect of production and post by yourselves? Why decide to go it alone?

Khaki: Because of the verité nature of this film, and because we were mostly interested in the storytelling process and how we could tell this complex, multilayered tale, we knew from the beginning that this didn’t have to be a big production. Although we ended up hiring additional film crew as relevant to the story, we realized the only way we could get the intimacy we’re looking for is if we did it together, as it felt more organic to navigate the unfolding situations.

Over the seven years of making this film we had a total of eight production trips in various seasons, where each trip lasted anywhere between 30 to 80 days. In the beginning we didn’t imagine that the film would take seven years to be completed. At first we knew we wanted to cover Sara Shahverdi as she’s running for a council seat. But then we realized there are so many layers to her complex character that deserve to be told. Also, we wanted to follow the secondary female characters, which demanded us to physically be present for an extended period of time.

When it came to editing, we had worked as editors on various other projects in the past. Given our understanding of the nuances of the stories, and our knowledge of the 200 hours of footage captured in the field, editing the film together was just a natural response. (Of course, along the way we had a few story consultants with different backgrounds that allowed us to see the film from different perspectives.) The process took a long time, as it required us to sit with the footage and shape it in the way that would help the story narratively. Especially when it came to structuring the edited scenes, it took us many versions to get to the final cut.

Since the two of us were the editors of the film, we were the first audience for our work. Day in and day out, with lots of discipline, we just cut. We would have two editing suites set up and each of us would designate a separate scene to work on. Then, by the end of the day, we would screen what we did to get the other’s input; that feedback then helped sharpen the scene. Though sometimes if one of us was out of ideas on how to make the scene any better, we would switch edit chairs and give it another go. Through working tirelessly and not giving up, even if the scenes were challenging to edit, we were able to weave various layers of the story into the final film.

I’ll also add that we feel blessed to be on this filmmaking journey as friends and as a married couple. We love storytelling, problem solving, and talking to each other endlessly. (Of course we always have plenty to talk about!)

Eyni: From the very beginning of production we decided to be the main decision-makers regarding the story and how we wanted to produce it. We wanted to reach out to specific foundations, organizations and individuals whose mission is aligned with ours, and those who celebrate independent filmmaking. Although it required lots of time and patience, we were able to receive support and are happy to share that the film is a result of very strong teamwork. We are honored to have Meadow Fund, Rebecca Lichtenfeld and Judith Helfand as our executive producers, and Thomas Lennon and Monika Parekh as our contributing producers. Also, while in production and in the field, when relevant to the story we would work with APs, additional camera persons, drone operators, and location coordinators to name just a few.

Regarding the edit, that started from the very first footage that we got from the field. We studied our material after each filming session quite carefully. While still in production, we also edited some pieces to get a better sense of the story and how it’s evolving. I’ll add that although we cut the film together, it was likewise very important for us to make this local story understandable to a broader audience. For that we worked with a range of story consultants with different perspectives.

Also, in the post-production stage we worked closely with a creative team at Filmo Estudios as well as with our composer Karim Sebastian Ellias. The entire process was a result of such a great team effort, and we very much enjoyed that collaborative experience.

Filmmaker: How did you ensure the safety of both yourselves and all the participants?

Khaki and Eyni: We would take every safety precaution and plan ahead through transparent communication between us and our main participants. When it came to filming, we would always run by Sara any ideas that we had to see just how feasible they were. Sara has a deep knowledge about the region, the village and its people; and not just because she’s from the place, but because she knows every hidden corner, every twist and turn, and every backroad imaginable. She has a rare knowledge unique to her.

Add to this the fact that she had been a midwife, so Sara knows everybody, and everyone knows her. So when it came to safety we were incredibly lucky to film with someone who not only trusted us but knew how to navigate the place to protect both us and herself.

Filmmaker: Have Sara and the members of her village seen the final film? Or rough cuts? What’s been the reaction?

Khaki and Eyni: We would love to share Cutting Through Rocks with the Iranian community, especially with the members of the village where the story takes place. Having the opportunity to screen the film in the region would allow us to really explore its potential impact.

Sara had watched some scenes we’d edited here and there. And through extensive conversation, she knows which scenes ended up in the final cut. Once the film was completed we did ask if she wanted to see it, but she replied that she’d much rather watch the film on a big screen with an audience.

Unfortunately, due to complex visa issues Sara is unable to join us for the world premiere at Sundance. However, we hope to have her in person for our upcoming festivals somewhere in the world. We truly look forward to watching the film with her exactly as she likes, on the big screen along with an audience!

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