PÖFF: Kidney

PÖFF30 | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 6-22 november 2026 | Cinema Artis

"Kidney” is far removed from the familiar glamour and conventions of Bollywood. In a remote village, two rival families – one privileged Hindu, the other a struggling Muslim family – are trapped in an endless cycle of feuds. A young man dreaming of TikTok fame and a woman yearning to escape patriarchy fall in love. When an inheritance dispute erupts, their relationship is caught between greed, betrayal, and a conflict that threatens to turn blood against blood. With remarkable precision, the film shows how a seemingly minor incident can escalate into a devastating chain of revenge, leading to a Shakespearean-scale family tragedy. Rooted in Hindi literature, it captures a rural India where digital aspirations collide with caste, religious and patriarchal structures. Shot on real locations with non-professional actors, it embraces striking vérité realism, while myth, surreal imagery, humor, and absurdity enter the picture. Brothers Aakarsh and Agrim Sansanwal created this uncompromising film with a tiny crew, minimal resources and the active support of the local community. Sets and props were built together, turning the production into a collective experiment. The result is a raw, courageous, and genuinely independent vision of India – reflecting on identity, greed, faith, and the forces that have shaped human history.

Nikolaj Nikitin