Shara Zaia, a writer and climber, navigates the sharp edges of identity, belonging, and mental health within the Assyrian diaspora – one of the world’s oldest, yet most endangered cultures.
Shara Zaia is an athlete, storyteller and community organizer whose work centers identity and belonging. Sharp Edges, her poetic documentary debut, weaves together her Assyrian heritage, mental health, and the resilience she found through rock climbing. Drawing from years of advocacy in education and the outdoor industry, Shara is driven by a desire to uplift overlooked perspectives. Her writing has been published in Alpinist Magazine, The Climbing Zine, Climbing Magazine, and she’s been featured on the Assyrian Podcast, Dirtbag Diaries, and Dirtbag State of Mind. As co-founder of Cruxing in Color, a Colorado-based 501(c)(3), she supports marginalized climbers with free gym memberships, gear, educational clinics, and community events. She also works full-time planning events for Protect Our Winters where she advocates for a healthy planet.
Max Haimowitz is a director, cinematographer, producer, and photographer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He founded Desert Trip Productions to share impactful stories, particularly those centered around the outdoors and the people who explore it. Known for capturing compelling content in extreme conditions, from cliff sides to mountain summits, Max played a key role in developing campaigns and content for Ford, 11th Hour Racing, Microsoft, KEDS, HOKA, and Grade 7 Equipment, crafting brand stories that resonate with broad audiences. Max thrives in documentary storytelling, highlighting the power of narratives that deeply connect with people and convey impactful messages.
Sharp Edges is the film I needed when I was younger. When I was caught between cultures, identities, and expectations that never quite fit. As an Assyrian woman raised in the United States, I’ve lived most of my life with the invisible weight of diaspora.
Climbing became the first place where that weight felt lighter. On the wall, I found a rare stillness. It became a space where my mind could soften, and where my body felt capable, grounded, and free. Yet even in the outdoors, I couldn’t fully escape the shadows of humanity until I realized the key to true freedom is my own complexity.
Through poetic narration, intimate visuals, and the textured world of the outdoors, Sharp Edges is a love letter to those who live in between identities, who carry their ancestors’ stories in their bones, and who continue to seek healing in movement. It is an invitation to feel pride in the sharp edges that make us unique.
