Tenfa

Indian Shorts

Sep 15

Synopsis

Three women trek across scarred ancestral terrain, piecing together a vanishing oral tradition to save a young mother’s life. Told in an endangered language spoken by fewer than 60,000 people, TENFA draws its cast from the director’s own family and community. Moving between emergency and elegy, the film unfolds like a folk song.

From the filmmaker

I felt compelled to tell this story as a way of illuminating the profound disparities in the region, particularly as they affect women, the elderly, and their access to healthcare. To authentically represent a culture that has long been marginalized and exoticized, it was essential to make this film in close collaboration with the community, in a way that aligns with its themes of sustainability and representation. Members of my family and village form both the cast and the majority of the crew.