A Fox Under a Pink Moon

At just 16 years old, strong-willed Afghan sculptor and illustrator Soraya Akhlaghi has spent 5 years trying to find a way out of Iran and join her mother in Europe. Trapped in a marriage to a violent man, Soraya escapes the brutality & isolation of her daily life through art, channeling all her worries, joys, and fears into stunning drawings and sculptures. Many of her creations feature recurring figures: a clown who never laughs, a pink moon that always watches over her, a fox who is her loyal travel companion. Crafted from years of Soraya's own cell phone footage & video calls with co-director Mehrdad Oskouei, this textured self-portrait interweaves Soraya Akhlaghi's artwork with riveting scenes of escape attempts, political news from Afghanistan, and videos where she sings, dances, or defiantly shows her own bruises.