On the eve of Pakistan’s 70th independence anniversary, we follow the spirited 90 year old guru Indu Mitha, as she prepares for her students’ final performance before she retires. How She Moves pulls back the curtain on her life as one of Pakistan’s few classical dance teachers. We observe her give a feminist and secular spin on classical dance, and see the transformative impact it has on her students.
Winner
Rimi
Rimi, a housewife, stuck in the mundane life of domesticity finds herself on the threshold of leaving everything behind and embracing liberation when a desire awakens in her after she encounters young and attractive Riya.
In The Rumbling Belly of Motherland
In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland provides a sharp look into Zan TV, Kabul’s female-operated, female-oriented news agency. Filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed, returns to Afghanistan to document this simultaneously harrowing and inspiring work environment. The film pulls us into the Afghan political climate and highlights the existential current events that threaten both Zan TV as a media outlet and the livelihoods of the women at its heart.
The Beast Inside My Head
An addiction crisis sweeps through Saskatchewan. Meagan Jasper has been clean for almost four years but struggles to save her younger sister from addictions. Taylor Balfour lost her own sister, Rachel, who died alone in a university dorm of a drug overdose. As a teen, Kaeland Brentnell became hooked on drugs. After his close friend died of an overdose, Kaeland decided to quit drugs and look to Meagan for help. Everyone comes from different walks of life. Yet, the consequences of addiction looms.
Fotdella
Fotdella follows Canadian street musician Ryan Baer – influenced by San Francisco one-man-band legend Jesse Fuller – as he constructs instruments from salvaged junk and performs in markets, beach towns and underground spaces. Drifting from Lake Huron to Berlin, the film captures the solitudes and celebrations of nostalgic touring musicians who recycle 20th century blues, jazz and folk cultures.
Soul of the Sea (Liremu Barana)
Arisa dances every day and night to songs that tell of the struggles of her people and her ancestors. Music and memory form a lyrical meditation on young womanhood, identity, and belonging in a Garifuna community in Guatemala.