The UK’s first and longest-running festival of Indigenous Cinema returns to the Horse Hospital with a dusk programme of short films by First Nations filmmakers Suni Sonqo Vizcarra Wood, Rodrigo Sena, Pranami Koch, Payam Shadnia, Arina Mado, and Awanui Simich-Pene.
Still from ‘First Horse’ Dir: Awanui Simich-Pene 11'05
Doors: 4.45pm
Native Spirit Festival (NSF 2025) - the UK’s first and longest-running festival of Indigenous Cinema is back with 10 days of screenings and discussions from October 9 to December 4. We are delighted that NSF is once again returning to the Horse Hospital with 18 films by First Nations filmmakers for two Sunday Shorts programmes: matinee and dusk.
The full festival programme is available at https://nativespiritfoundation.org/
Films:
First Horse
In Aotearoa, 1826, on the cusp of colonisation, a young Māori girl’s encounter with a dying man and his horse exposes her to the best and worst of her rapidly changing world.
Māori, Aotearoa (New Zealand) 2024 Dir: Awanui Simich-Pene 11'05
Still from ‘First Horse’ Dir: Awanui Simich-Pene 11'05
Ukko
Оn the eve of grandfather’s funeral a little girl discovers her beloved cow has disappeared. To find the animal, she is forced to contact the world of the dead.
Karelian, Russia 2024 Dir: Arina Mado 15’37
The Cat
It should be noted that the sitting cat symbolizes Iran's geographical map, which holds significant importance for Iranians. Cat follows people forced to leave Iran due to economic and political challenges. They board a ship to reach their intended destination, but are hijacked by murderous smugglers. One person survives—through rescuing a cat.
Lur, Iran 2025 Dir: Payam Shadnia 11’50
Echoes Within (Koro Gochongni)
In a personal search for ancestral connection and identity, Pranami travels to Harisong, Borkonasong, and Kumlisong villages, and lives with her matrilineal Koch community’s women. Impressions of life on the land intermingle with subjective and often poetic reflections on topics such as the loss of language and culture.
Koches, Assam 2024 Dir: Pranami Koch 26’19
The Flow Of Resilience (Boi Thaka)
A found journal triggers memories, leading a filmmaker on a journey to uncover harrowing stories of accused witches in remote Assam villages. Boi Thaka meditates on memory, the act of remembering, and the archival of trauma, and attempts to express the resilience and strength emerging against patriarchal systems that continue to perpetuate practices such as witch hunting.
Koches, Assam 2024 Dir: Pranami Koch 14’37
Mukunan Aprendiz De Pajé
Mukunã prepares to become the Shaman of the Potiguara Katu village in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, older than us, the power plants become the teacher, teaching environmental care.
Potiguara Katu, Brazil 2025 Dir: Rodrigo Sena 25’00
Hatarimuy: Rise Up
After being injured in the protests, a young Quechua man experiences a supernatural encounter which leads him to question his history, revealing his true identity and decolonizing his inner self.
Quechua, Peru 2024 Dir: Suni Sonqo Vizcarra Wood 17’35