CAT&Docs has acquired the international sales rights for Iranian filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei’s latest documentary, *A Fox Under a Pink Moon*, which will have its world premiere at IDFA in the International Competition.
The film is co-directed by its protagonist, Soraya Akhlaghi, whom we first meet at 16 years old. Soraya is a talented Afghan sculptor and illustrator whose stunning drawings and sculptures are as beautiful as they are dark. For five years, this strong-willed artist has been trying to find a way out of Iran to reunite with her mother in Austria.
*A Fox Under a Pink Moon* is a subtly textured self-portrait that interweaves chilling scenes of Soraya’s escape attempts with political news from Afghanistan, alongside intimate videos where she sings, dances, or reveals her bruises. Married to a violent man, Soraya is determined to shape her own future on her own terms.
Director Oskouei helmed this project entirely remotely, with Soraya filming all the footage herself over five years using her phone. The documentary includes these personal recordings, shots of her drawings, and surreal animations that enrich the storytelling.
For Soraya, creating art is much more than a pastime. She channels all her worries, joys, and fears into her drawings and sculptures, crafted from soaked egg cartons or clay found along her escape routes. Many of her artworks feature recurring figures: a loyal fox who is her traveling companion, a pink moon that always watches over her, and a clown—forever laughing—a character with whom Soraya strongly identifies.
Oskouei shared in a statement:
“Our story is about one of the millions of people displaced by war over the last few decades. The world often views them from a distance with pity, seeing them as powerless and a strain on resources. But each individual has a story full of strength to tell. We want one of them to tell their story themselves. On the surface, it’s a familiar story of emigration, but deep down, we enter the world of an artist. One who, on her own, records the adventure of leaving.”
Mehrdad Oskouei is well-known for his tetralogy exploring the lives of incarcerated youth. His acclaimed works include *It’s Always Late for Freedom* (2007), *The Last Days of Winter* (2011), and *Starless Dreams* (2016), which portrayed teenage girls in a correctional facility. His 2019 film *Sunless Shadows*—the opening film of IDFA that year and winner of the Best Directing Award—continued this exploration through intimate portraits of women imprisoned in a youth detention center for the murder of a male family member.
*A Fox Under a Pink Moon* was written by Oskouei and Amir Adibparvar, with production led by Oskouei. Executive producers include Siavash Jamali and Tony Tabatznik, alongside Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld for Inmaat. The film was made with the support of the Inmaat Foundation, Bertha Film Fund, Catapult Film Fund, IMS, and Artunity.
https://variety.com/2025/film/global/catanddocs-a-fox-under-a-pink-moon-idfa-1236579864/
