At just sixteen, Soraya is already creating stunning drawings and sculptures that are as beautiful as they are dark. This strong-willed 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 married to a violent man, and she 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. Making art is no idle pastime for Soraya. She puts all her worries, joys, and fears into her drawings and the sculptures she makes from soaked egg cartons or clay that she finds along her escape routes. Many of her drawings feature recurring figures: a loyal fox who is her traveling companion, a pink moon that always watches over her, and a clown who ever laughs – a character Soraya identifies with.

Awards:

IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary – International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2025 (Netherlands)

Big Stamp in the International Competition – Zagrebdox 2026 (Croatia)

Jury Award a Audience Award for Best International Documentary – Docville 2026, Leuven (Belgium)

Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award for Best International Documentary – Tempo Documentary Festival 2026, Stockholm (Sweden)

After the screening there will be a Q&A with the director Mehrdad Oskouei and the co-director and the main protagonist Soraya Akhlaghi in English.

This screening is part of the IncluCine 2 project, implemented within the Collaborate to Innovate scheme under the auspices of Europa Cinemas and funded by the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme.