All The Mountains Give

All The Mountains Give, directed by Arash Rakhsha, is an immersive and visually striking debut feature that presents an intimate portrait of the precarious lives of Kurdish communities living at the margins of society. Filmed over six years, the documentary follows Hamid and Yasser, two Kurdish friends who work as smugglers transporting untaxed goods across the perilous Iran-Iraq border. Risking their lives daily to survive, they navigate a world shaped by economic scarcity, social marginalization, and political neglect. Bathed in icy shades of blue that reflect both the harshness of the terrain and the fragility of their existence, the film captures fleeting moments of camaraderie, humour, and human resilience. 

Rakhsha’s lens gives voice to a Kurdish reality too often ignored, highlighting the complex interplay of survival, dignity, and societal exclusion. Quote from Director’s Statement: “I am Kurdish and I was a kolbar from the time I was eighteen until I was twenty. No doubt, at this point, you know what that means and that young men risk their lives every day for measly earnings. This form of smuggling does not exist anywhere else in the world and those who do the work get stuck in a tiresome cycle of exploitation. I was lucky enough to get out while I was still young, but the experience lived with me as Hamid explains at the end of the film. While the film focuses mostly on Hamid and Yasser, it’s really about the life of Kurdish people living in this small town at the edge of Iran and Iraq.“

Director: Arash Rakhsha. Countries: Iran/Rojhelat, Iraq, Germany, Canada. Released: 2024. Length: 90 min. Format: DCP. Language: Kurdish, Persian with English subtitles.