Dhanak

Nagesh Kukunoor's 2015 Indian film is a journey story set in the Rajasthan desert. Pari is ten and her four-year-old brother Chotu has lost his sight; learning from a poster that a famous actor helps blind children, she believes that finding him will get her brother an operation. The two set out, walking between desert towns, hitching rides and travelling with strangers. The film stands between fairy tale and realism; the people met along the way can be helpful or dangerous and the story keeps that uncertainty. The relationship between the two child actors is its strength, with their quarrels and stubbornness kept real. It screened in the children's and youth section in Berlin. Who it's for: viewers who like road films and stories centred on children. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a realistic resolution; the film chooses the fairy tale.