Norah
Tawfik Alzaidi
Saudi Arabia. 2023. 95 min

Set in a small remote Saudi Arabian village, in the 90s when artistic expression was banned, NORAH is a story about the basic human need to communicate through art, in all its forms.
Nader, a new schoolteacher and an artist in secret, arrives at the village and meets Norah, a young woman who ignites the creativity inside him and inspires him to paint again. At great risk, they develop a delicate connection and a quiet bond. Nader enlightens Norah on the wider world outside of her tiny community and she realises she must leave, to find a place where she can be free to express her artistic self.

When the Walnut Leaves turn Yellow!
Mehmet Ali Konar
Turkey. 2024. 103 min

In southeastern Turkey, Kurds who want to live their lives in peace are squeezed between the harassment of Turkish military patrols and the demands of the PKK guerrillas, all while land and pasture are scarce. Ciwan is the village chief, a righteous and humble family man. Day in and day out, he rushes through his village duties and tending to his livestock. Two steps behind him is his 14-year-old son Feyzi, wondering why he has to learn everything right now. What he doesn’t know is that his father is seriously ill and time is running out. Mehmet Ali Konar effectively combines harsh realism with magic in his third film about an ever-vulnerable ethnic group, also delivering a heartwarming father-son portrait.

House of Peace
Deepankar Prakash
India. 2024. 120 min

Ravi, a diligent man in his mid-30s, shoulders the responsibility of caring for his ailing grandfather, mentally disabled aunt, and grandmother after his parents’ tragic demise. Growing up in a modest household, he learns the value of duty early on. However, as the story progresses, the weight of his responsibilities takes a toll on him. He becomes increasingly isolated, sacrificing his own happiness and relationships to meet the needs of his family. Despite his unwavering dedication, a sudden financial crisis pushes him to his limits. The story ends unexpectedly, leaving viewers to contemplate the complexities of human relationships and the resilience of the human spirit.

Aajoor
Aaryan Chandra Prakash
India. 2024. 122 min

Aajoor explores the life of Saloni, a resilient girl from rural Bihar, who challenges societal norms to pursue her education while managing household responsibilities after her mother’s early demise. Her journey intersects with the boys’ newfound obsession with social networking sites. Supported by her father, a vocalist in a Launda Dance team, Saloni faces societal scorn but remains determined to change her destiny.

In The Name of Fire
Abhilash Sharma
India. 2024. 99 min

In a remote village, Rukhiya and Phekan, both from the marginalized Dalit community, endure hardships due to their caste identity. With no work available in the village due to the ongoing temple renovation, Phekan ventures into the city in search of employment. However, he is betrayed, left unpaid, and subjected to exploitation and false accusations.
Meanwhile, Rukhiya remains in their desolate home, haunted not only by the villagers’ judgment but also by the fear that she’s being branded a witch, as whispers and rumours spread around her.
Nehura, a guilt-ridden cremator, grapples with his inner conflict between right and wrong, seeking redemption for past wrongs.
Amid the turmoil, a mysterious cry from an infant shatters the silence, leading to a divine revelation when the lives of these characters intersect in unexpected ways.

Strangers When we Meet
Zhang Guoli
China. 2024. 108 min

The film is based on the true story of “The Murder Girl Wearing a Wedding Dress.” After serving a 30-year sentence, QIN starts a new life with a government compensation of 1.5 million yuan for land expropriation. Being in his middle age, QIN only wishes to marry, have children, and live a stable and peaceful life.
However, his life takes a complete turn when the 24-year-old girl, Chang Juan, enters his life. QIN realizes that Chang Juan, who shares the same fate as a wanderer, carries hidden secrets within her.

Waterdrop
Robert Budina
Albania, Italy, Romania, Kosovo. 2024. 91 min

In a picturesque Albanian town on the shores of Lake Ohrid, Aida reigns as a tough, successful businesswoman. As city planner, she manages the allocation of lucrative EU subsidies, navigating a corrupt system where her boss pockets large portions of the funds. To maintain her position in this ultra-masculine, patriarchal world, Aida isn’t above accepting the occasional bribe herself.

Humans in the Loop
Aranya Sahay
India. 2024. 74 min

Nehma, an Adivasi woman from the Oraon tribe, returns to her village with her children twelveyear- old Dhaanu and one-year-old Guntu, after her divorce. She begins to work as a data labeller, training the ‘childlike’ AI models to recognise images.
While Nehma faces the challenge of connecting with Dhaanu – who is biased against village life and forever tempted to flee back to the city she also notices that the AI she works with is adopting harmful human biases, echoing prejudices against her own community.

Deal at the Border
Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi
Kyrgyztan. 2024. 104 min

At the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border, Aza and Samat work as members of a drug trafficking organization. One day, they run into Nazik, who has narrowly escaped from human traffickers. Aza decides to give up the drug money and save Nazik, but Nazik tragically dies while crossing a river. Aza is determined to at least return Nazik’s remains to her homeland, but his decision thrusts him into even greater danger. The border regions of Central Asian countries, that are located adjacent to Afghanistan where massive amounts of drugs are produced, are hotspots for drug trafficking and organized crime. As those desperate for survival struggle to maintain a shred of dignity, the camera frequently pulls back to capture the vast and indifferent mountainous landscapes of the borderlands. The film is genre-driven but is also captivating with its restrained dialogue and composed visuals.