CAT&Docs Picks Up Iranian Documentary ‘A Fox Under a Pink Moon’ Ahead of IDFA World Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
CAT&Docs has picked up international sales rights for Iranian filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei’s documentary “A Fox Under a Pink Moon,” which will world premiere at IDFA in the International Competition.
The film is co-directed by its protagonist Soraya Akhlaghi, who we meet when she is 16 years old. 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 find a way out of 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.
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 is forever laughing — a character Soraya identifies with.
Oskouei said in a statement: “Our story is about one of the millions of people displaced by war over the last few decades. The world as a whole feels sorry for them from a distance and see them as powerless to better their lives and therefore weigh on our resources. But each one of them, in their own world, has a story to tell, full of strength.
“We want one of them to tell their story by themselves. The narrative, on the surface, is a normal story of emigration, but deep down, we enter the world of an artist. One of them, on her own, records the adventure of leaving.”
Oskouei gained recognition for his tetralogy focusing on the lives of incarcerated youth, including “It’s Always Late for Freedom” (2007), “The Last Days of Winter” (2011), and “Starless Dreams” (2016), which captured the lives of teenage girls in a correctional facility.
“Sunless Shadows” (2019), the opening film of IDFA, and winner of the best directing award, continued this exploration, offering intimate portraits of women in a youth detention center who were imprisoned for the murder of a male family member.
“A Fox Under a Pink Moon” was written by Oskouei and Amir Adibparvar, and produced by Oskouei. The executive producers are Siavash Jamali and Tony Tabatznik, alongside Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld for Inmaat.
It was made with the support of Inmaat Foundation, Bertha Film Fund, Catapult Film Fund, IMS and Artunity.
The film is co-directed by its protagonist Soraya Akhlaghi, who we meet when she is 16 years old. 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 find a way out of 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.
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 is forever laughing — a character Soraya identifies with.
Oskouei said in a statement: “Our story is about one of the millions of people displaced by war over the last few decades. The world as a whole feels sorry for them from a distance and see them as powerless to better their lives and therefore weigh on our resources. But each one of them, in their own world, has a story to tell, full of strength.
“We want one of them to tell their story by themselves. The narrative, on the surface, is a normal story of emigration, but deep down, we enter the world of an artist. One of them, on her own, records the adventure of leaving.”
Oskouei gained recognition for his tetralogy focusing on the lives of incarcerated youth, including “It’s Always Late for Freedom” (2007), “The Last Days of Winter” (2011), and “Starless Dreams” (2016), which captured the lives of teenage girls in a correctional facility.
“Sunless Shadows” (2019), the opening film of IDFA, and winner of the best directing award, continued this exploration, offering intimate portraits of women in a youth detention center who were imprisoned for the murder of a male family member.
“A Fox Under a Pink Moon” was written by Oskouei and Amir Adibparvar, and produced by Oskouei. The executive producers are Siavash Jamali and Tony Tabatznik, alongside Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld for Inmaat.
It was made with the support of Inmaat Foundation, Bertha Film Fund, Catapult Film Fund, IMS and Artunity.