Songs of Forgotten Trees(HKAFF2025)

Two migrant women find unexpected kinship in this remarkable debut from Anuparna Roy, who became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Orizzonti Best Director at Venice. Using generous long takes, intimate observation and subtle characterisation, Roy reveals a unique friendship while crafting a universal narrative about womanhood in India and beyond. Arriving in restless urban Mumbai, remote call centre employee Swetha moves into a shared apartment with a stranger: Thooya, an aspiring actress and sex worker. The two women seem entirely different, but as the weight of shared time and space grows, their lives begin to intersect and overlap.

Orizzonti Award for Best Director, Venice International Film Festival