Direction

A short documentary exploring the endangered tradition of making shu, a handwoven woollen cloth from Chitral, Northwest Pakistan. The film documents the craft, knowledge and cultural practices surrounding shu, while reflecting on the challenges threatening its survival from climate change and an ageing population to declining interest among younger generations.

Through walking and cycling, a grieving woman rediscovers the freedom of her childhood, guided towards healing and home by mysterious voices, some human, some beyond.

In the midst of grief, a filmmaker discovers a small restaurant serving a dish that tastes just like her late mother’s cooking. Drawn back again and again, the restaurant slowly becomes a second home—a place where memory, longing and the rituals of everyday life allow her to walk through her grief and begin to face the loss of her mother.

While trekking 105 km and summiting a 6,000-metre peak, a daughter listens to her late father’s final voice notes. As the signal fades, she begins sending messages of her own, speaking into the silence as if he is still listening.