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Soraya Akhlaghi as the main protagonist, is a strong-willed Afghan sculptor and illustrator has been trying for five years to escape Iran and join her mother in Austria. As multidisciplinary artist working across sculpture, painting and film. She began sculpting in 2016, creating around 150 papier-mâché sculptures by 2025. In 2018, she expanded her practice to painting, with over 50 works. From 2019 to 2025, she worked as a Co- director and cinematographer of *A Fox Under a Pink Moon*,
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Visit the Cookie Policy pageAt just 16, 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.
A Fox Under A Pink Moon*, premiered at IDFA november 2025 and won the Best Film in International Competition award.
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.
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