The Houbara is a desert and steppe-dwelling bird from the bustard family, perfectly adapted to life in dry habitats. This unique species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Houbara is an environmental and social documentary that investigates the illegal trafficking and black-market trade of this species from Iran to Persian Gulf countries. Falconry, a traditional form of hunting among Arabs, especially in nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, has created a powerful demand. Princes, sheikhs, and wealthy hunters are willing to pay extremely high prices to obtain and hunt the Houbara using their own exclusive methods. As a result, any region where even a few Houbara remain is not safe from exploitation.

The documentary Houbara takes a bold and unfiltered look into the mafia-like underground network behind this black-market trade. The production began in 2011 and continued for nearly a decade, finally concluding in 2020. The film was shot across most of Iran’s Houbara habitats and even goes beyond Iran’s borders, traveling to one of the main transit hubs for illegal trafficking of raptors and Houbaras in a Persian Gulf country, capturing the high-profit deals that threaten the survival of this endangered bird.