Cannes 2026 (Un Certain Regard): Elephants in the Fog (dir. Abinash Bikram Shah) | Review
In Elephants in the Fog, director Abinash Bikram Shah crafts a remarkable feature debut that embraces a portrait of Nepal’s strong-willed trans women and the covert obstacles they confront – an Un Certain Regard gem poised to glow eternally in world cinema history.
South Asian filmmakers have been steadily advancing toward world-class cinema, and now Nepal is soaring high into the sky. From Deepak Rauniyar to Min Bahadur Bham to Nabin Subba, a lineage of Nepali directors has set the cinematic stage ablaze, each with its own burning heart. Director Abinash Bikram Shah – from that very circle – brings Elephants in the Fog to the 79th Cannes Film Festival as Nepal’s first-ever Un Certain Regard selection. Mark this: a quiet explosion of brilliance simmers beneath.
In a chilly yet tranquil Nepali village, where wild elephants roam as a shadow of danger, the Kinnar community has built a quiet, harmonious home – a family of trans women bound by a simple creed: “We must stay on good terms with everyone.” This holds especially true for Pirati (Puspa Thing Lama), a respected matriarch among them. Pirati bows to her Guru Mata and gives herself completely, while also serving as a chosen mother to three trans daughters entrusted to her. One of them, Apsara (Aliz Ghimire), lives in a modern fever, craving fun and a world wider than the tight embrace of her trans family. Pirati, too, aches for freedom – to be with the man she loves, a desire that conflicts with the family’s rules. Following a confrontation between mother and daughter, news arrives that Apsara has disappeared. Consumed by guilt, affection, and despair, Pirati undertakes an arduous journey to find her daughter – a journey that presents far more than minor obstacles and compels her to confront an unanticipated reality.
Director Abinash Bikram Shah has always been known for his extravagant technical skill, and here he elevates it even further. He draws a sharp contrast between the beauty of cultural traditions and the dark, gritty realities that exist within the same world. We witness vibrant rituals, quiet yet powerful bonds, and devotion to gurus and God alongside systemic social injustice, the sting of transphobia, generational divides within the community, and a deceptive world that seeks to erode faith in humanity. Everything is presented with immense power – as though we asked for a drop and the director handed us an entire ocean.
Actress Puspa Thing Lama, as Pirati, does not simply play a role – she seizes the film and never lets go. There is a magnetic pull in her gaze, her anger, her laughter, and her sorrow; every human emotion she channels keeps us locked in. It recalls the unwavering fire Jeon Do-yeon brought to Secret Sunshine: unwavering, unsparing, and deeply assured. Frédéric Alvarez’s score creates an entirely separate world within the film – an amalgamation of warning and nostalgia fused together. Equally noteworthy is Marina Starke’s carefully controlled colour palette within Noé Bach’s cinematography, which remains atmospheric yet mystifying for the genre. Together, they form an ensemble of excellence – the product of meticulous craftsmanship, extreme precision, and profound passion – a motion picture striving not merely for transformation, but for permanence.
Mainly produced by Anup Poudel, Justin Pechberty, Damien Megherbi, and Michael Henrichs, Elephants in the Fog is a beautiful yet devastating rainbow of awakenings placed beneath the dome of discrimination, polished by director Abinash Bikram Shah’s passionate and exquisite artistry. Within his screenplay, the director redefines motherhood with gravity, seriousness, and unwavering devotion to social empowerment and cinematic passion. The film grows slowly but steadily, like a forest of wisdom taking root inside us. It is a work that demands to be both seen and felt for the richness it contains, bestowing its cinematic insight upon its audience. The film may even find its way into Cannes Classics someday, where seats and hearts alike will warm, and emotions will ride a roller coaster for viewers of every generation.
As staggering as his short Lori – winner of the 2022 Cannes Short Film Special Mention Award – Elephants in the Fog unfolds as a 108-minute lesson in humanity that audibly proclaims a nearly surreal truth to the world. Extravagant in scope, mighty in execution, remarkable in craftsmanship, and astonishing in its conclusion, this Un Certain Regard gem is poised to unsettle and ignite all who encounter it. Even the mighty elephants, moving bravely through the fog, seem to reach out and forge a bond with the world through sheer presence alone.
Our team is on site for the 79th Cannes Film Festival, from May 12 to 23, 2026.
