Filmmaker Rima Das’s latest feature Not a Hero premiered to an enthusiastic response at the Berlin International Film Festival, marking another milestone in the Assamese director’s international journey.
The film was screened in the Generation Kplus Competition section during the 76th edition of the prestigious festival, drawing praise for its quiet emotional depth and sensitive portrayal of childhood.
Reflecting on the premiere, Das said the film respects young audiences by allowing them to engage with emotional complexity and unresolved realities.
She noted that Not a Hero does not simplify experiences or neatly resolve conflicts, and described the Generation section as a space where children are portrayed as “fully formed individuals” rather than symbols or moral lessons.
She also called the red-carpet moment with her team “deeply meaningful”.
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Set between urban spaces and rural Assam, the film follows a young boy whose journey into an unfamiliar world reshapes his ideas of strength, masculinity and belonging.
Exiled from the comforts of city life to his ancestral village, the child confronts a bitter aunt, forms a bond with a horse, and joins local children in untamed adventures that lead him to discover resilience and inner courage.
Shot in Assamese, Hindi and English, the film stars Bhuman Bhargav Das, who earlier appeared in Das’s 2022 film Tora’s Husband, alongside actor Sukanya Boruah and a cast of non-professional performers.
Not a Hero is produced under Das’s banner Flying River Films in association with Akanga Film Asia.
The premiere also marked Das’s third appearance at the Berlin festival, following her acclaimed film Village Rockstars and its sequel Village Rockstars 2, which released in 2025.
