Sixteen-year-old Afghan artist Soraya navigates a harrowing five-year escape from Iran to her mother in Austria, using a smartphone as both a shield and a sketchbook. This intimate self-portrait transcends conventional refugee narratives by centring on Soraya’s identity as a sculptor and illustrator who refuses to be defined solely by trauma. The footage interweaves raw scenes of escape attempts with surreal animation and sculptures fashioned from found clay. These creations, featuring symbolic figures like a loyal fox, a pink moon and a silent clown, provide a visceral language for the domestic violence and political instability left behind. By documenting the journey through a creative lens, A Fox Under a Pink Moon demonstrates that art is a vital survival strategy for preserving the self under pressure. It is an exploration of agency, proving one can remain the architect of a personal story even in transit. Soraya’s creations are the only borders she truly controls. Gugi Gumilang
Content advisory: This film contains scenes of domestic violence.