When Anand’s father dies, he must leave the safety net of bustling Mumbai and return home to the countryside to partake in a ten-day mourning period for the patriarch. Grief begins to seep through rituals and memories as the man must reconcile a great loss with his identity back home as his homecoming awakens long-dormant friendships and loves he left behind. A semiautobiographical feature debut, Cactus Pears is a modern love story built on what is unsaid, stolen glances and brief touches telling the tale of a beautiful queer relationship blooming in the Indian countryside.
Isra Al Kassi