Shadowbox

Editor Tanushree Das and cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi make an impressive directing debut with this domestic drama set in the suburbs of Kolkata. Maya works several jobs to keep her family afloat—running a laundry service, housekeeping, even tending chickens—while caring for her teenage son, Debu, and PTSD-afflicted veteran husband, Sundar. Ostracized by her family for her poor marriage and too proud to ask for help, she runs her household with conductor-like control. But the wheels come off the exact and delicate balance Maya maintains after Sundar goes missing and comes under suspicion of murder. Tillotama Shome is brilliant as Maya, her performance revealing the woman’s resilience and determination. Striking sound design reflects Maya’s changing circumstances in this indelible film of grace and economical storytelling.