Hani

Watched it at POFF, the story follows two Hani (name of the ethnic group) children from the Yunnan border trying to gather a "huge sum" for their marriage, bringing up issues like poverty, village, ethnic minorities, traditional customs and "modern civilization." The filmmakers compare this struggle to a small household fire pit crashing into a massive iceberg of power.

The actors are said to be local kids, and their performances feel incredibly real, like deception, violence, and crime are just part of their everyday lives. After seeing so many films that romanticize rural life and suffering, this one doesn't hold back. It shows everything raw and unfiltered-though, of course, that comes at a cost.