A Fox Under a Pink Moon

Winner! Best Documentary at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

OTHER FESTIVALS: CPH-DOX, Full Frame, Hot Docs Canada

Soraya, a strong-willed 16-year-old Afghan sculptor and illustrator, has been trying for five years to escape Iran and join her mother in Austria. This subtly textured self-portrait interweaves chilling scenes of her escape attempts with political news from Afghanistan and videos in which she sings and dances-or shows her bruises. Soraya is determined to shape her own future. 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 surreal animations. Soraya puts all her worries, joys, and fears into her drawings and the sculptures that feature recurring figures: a loyal fox who is her traveling companion, a pink moon that always watches over her, and a clown who never laughs.

Directed by Soraya Akhlaghi and Mehrdad Oskouei, 2025, France/Iran/Denmark, in Persian and Dari with English subtitles, 76 minutes, NR