Once Upon a Village

Synopsis

Semla is a ghost village in the Himalayan foothills. The fifty families that once lived there have migrated to the city, leaving behind seven people. With this migration, livelihood connected to the terrain and seasons has slowly faded. Like her village, Leela is old, resilient and forgotten. Despite loneliness and struggles with an ageing body, Leela doesn’t want to leave for the city. Golu is the only young person in the village, and desperate to escape to the city but doesn’t have the means. Dreaming for a different life, Golu roams around the abandoned village. As the film progresses, the two women face the invisible but palpable forces of migration. Their emotional journey changes their relationship with the place they call home. As time crawls by, a way of life struggles to stay relevant. In this fragile existence, Once Upon a Village explores life in a dying village where a haunting absence lingers.