On International Women’s Day (8 March), the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC), in partnership with the Luxembourg City Film Festival, will organise a Ciné-ONU screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Cutting Through Rocks, followed by a moderated panel discussion in Luxembourg.
Directed and produced by Iranian filmmakers Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki, the documentary tells a powerful story of gender equality and grassroots leadership in rural Iran.
In a remote Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi, a former midwife, defies convention to become the first elected female councillor, mentoring girls, challenging child marriage, and confronting entrenched systems of power.
Panel discussion
The screening will be followed by a moderated discussion featuring:
- Julieta Marotta, Assistant Professor at UNU-MERIT
- Skerdi Zanaj, Professor of Economics and Gender Equality Delegate at the University of Luxembourg
- Elisabeth Gueye, Gender & Human Rights Expert at LuxDev (Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency)
- Marian Blondeel, Head of Benelux & EU Desk at the United Nations Regional Information Centre (Moderator)
Discussion topics will include gender equality as a driver of local development, the transformative power of grassroots female leadership, and pathways to development within restrictive contexts.
Programme details
Date: Sunday, 8 March 2026
Time: 4.00 pm
Location: Ciné Utopia, 16 Avenue de la Faïencerie, 1510 Limpertsberg, Luxembourg