Mehrdad Oskouei

Mehrdad Oskouei (b. 1969, Tehran) is an Iranian documentary filmmaker, producer, and photographer known for his deeply humanistic and critically acclaimed work. He has directed, produced, and written over 25 documentaries and short films, many of which have been screened at prestigious international festivals, garnering over 180 awards.

Co-director Soraya Akhlaghi is a multidisciplinary artist working in the fields of sculpture, painting, and film. From 2018 to 2025 she worked as a cinematographer, sound engineer, and co-director of the film A Fox Under a Pink Moon, directed and produced by Mehrdad Oskouei, in which she is also the protagonist.

Selected movie

Mehrdad Oskouei

Soraya Akhlaghi

2025 /
77 min /
Iran
France

Soraya, a sixteen-year-old Afghan artist, documents using only her mobile phone, her attempts to escape from Iran over a five-year period in the hope of joining her mother in Austria. Blending personal footage, animation and sculpture, the film lays bare Soraya’s determination to carve out her own path.

Winner of the Best Film Award in the International Competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) 2025, A Fox Under a Pink Moon presents, in the first person, the difficult journey to reach Europe from Iran. Through a unique collaboration between the director, working remotely, and the protagonist and co-director Soraya, the film builds an intimate narrative in which art becomes a central element of the journey.