This is not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection

This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection

Winner of the Special Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection is a haunting and poetic meditation on grief, faith, and resistance. Set in the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the film tells the story of Mantoa, an elderly widow whose quiet mourning turns into defiance when her village is threatened with relocation to make way for a dam.

Directed by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, the film transcends conventional storytelling, combining striking visual compositions, ritualistic pacing, and a deeply spiritual tone. Lead actress Mary Twala Mhlongo delivers an extraordinary performance, embodying both sorrow and strength as her character transforms from a grieving mother into a symbol of resilience and communal pride.

With its painterly cinematography and poetic narration, This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection becomes a requiem and a rallying cry—a story of one woman confronting displacement and death by affirming the enduring spirit of her people. It is a visually hypnotic and emotionally transcendent work of art that redefines what cinema can be: not merely an act of mourning, but of rebirth.

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Kabul, Afghanistan. Pari, an in-house tailor, must find the means to purchase her prescription glasses in order to save her job. The armed conflict has made Afghanistan one of the world’s most prolific producers of orphans and widows. According to the recent studies by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Social Affairs, and Human Rights organizations, Afghanistan has over two million widows, 94 percent of whom are illiterate; 32 percent are afflicted with mental disorders and 22 percent have severe physical problems. Despite all this, they are forced to look after themselves and their young children in the face of stigmatization and violence while lacking social support.

18 mins 55s
Canada, 2022
Dir. Salar Pashtoonyar
Language: Persian