‘Tiniharu’ lifts the fog around people living on the margins

Pirati spends many nights patrolling the jungle near the village of Thori, joining her neighbors to keep wild elephants from entering the settlement. In Abinash Bikram Shah’s debut feature, “Tiniharu (Elephants in the Fog),” Pirati and her family ultimately face the same exclusion and danger as the animals they try to keep away.

The film, which won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, returned home with its Nepal release on September 4. Its premiere was turned into a charity screening after devastating floods plunged the country into grief. “If this screening can, even in a small way…contribute something towards relief, I will consider it a success,” Shah said before the event.

“Tiniharu” centers on a Kinnar family of four led by Pirati, a trans woman who maintains friendly relations with her neighbors, holds a respected position as a matriarch and loves a local percussionist. That stability begins to unravel when one of her daughters disappears, possibly during the nightly patrols, after an argument with Pirati.

The search becomes a painful confrontation with guilt, othering and the limits of acceptance, including tensions within a community that is itself marginalized. The story grows bleak, but the film offsets its darkness with playful exchanges and natural humor.

Most of the cast members are making their screen debuts. Pushpa Thing Lama gives Pirati a convincing mix of sternness and vulnerability as the character struggles between desire and duty. Pirati wants to elope to Delhi with her partner, but her maternal instinct drives her to search for the daughter she has claimed. Aliz Ghimire, Jasmine Bishwokarma and Deepika Yadav also bring ease and life to their roles. Established actors including Aashant Sharma, Akanchha Karki, Maotse Gurung and Gauri Malla appear alongside them.

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If this screening can, even in a small way…contribute something towards relief, I will consider it a success.