When her mischievous daughter falls mysteriously ill, a single mother is drawn into Kathmandu's supernatural underworld of shamans and secrets, where resilience may be their only path to redemption.
Durga, a divorced Dalit woman, works tirelessly to protect her family and anchor her mischievous nine-year-old daughter, Lila. Seeking a positive outlet for Lila’s restless energy, Durga enrolls her in a local art academy. Lila displays a natural brilliance for painting, but the creative sanctuary quickly darkens. A series of unsettling events and a sudden, mysterious illness grip the young girl, throwing the household into panic.
Desperate for answers, Durga uncovers a chilling reality hidden behind the school's doors. Propelled by rage and maternal instinct, she demands accountability, only to find herself trapped in a web of institutional cover-ups and powerful figures determined to silence her. Durga must risk everything to tear down the wall of protection surrounding a monster before other young lives are shattered.
Nani Sahra Walker is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, executive producer, and writer-director. In 2026, she was named Best Filmmaker by NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA). Her debut narrative feature, Shakti (2025), received multiple awards and screened at Heartland International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and CAAMFest. Supported by the ARRI, the film is distributed by Buffalo 8 and is streaming worldwide on Prime Video, Tubi, and other platforms.
Walker executive produced the acclaimed short documentaries Kylie (Sundance 2023), Merman (Tribeca 2023), and The Last Repair Shop (Telluride 2023), which won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film. Her feature documentary Other Nature (2012) screened internationally, including at BFI Flare, Outfest, and Frameline.
An alum of the ARRI , SFFILM, and BAFTA, Walker teaches documentary film at the University of California, Berkeley. She has served on juries and selection committees for international festivals and film labs and has mentored filmmakers through Film Independent's Global Media Makers, USC School of Cinematic Arts' American Film Showcase, and other international programs.
A native of Kathmandu, Nepal, Walker is based in Los Angeles.
Heartland International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2026
Hawaii International Film Festival 2025
International Film Festival of India - Goa 2025
CAAMFest 2026
Heartland International Film Festival 2025, Best Premiere Narrative
Heartland International Film Festival 2025, Richard D. Propes Narrative Social Impact Award
Best Social Justice Film, Tasveer Film Festival
Jury Award, Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival
Best Foreign Feature Film, Female Eye Film Festival
Writer/Director/Producer/Co-editor - Nani Sahra Walker
Production Design/Producer - Candi Guterres
Director of Photography - Keiko Nakahara
William Ryan Fritch - Composer
