Films

Saraswati is a new arrival in an Indian Himalayan village. She wonders how she will ever feel at home in the new setting. “Spirit” by Jane Dyson and Ross Harrison is a story of longing and belonging that explores what it takes to carve out a home in a remote community.

The film charts the everyday work and spiritual practices that bind people to each other and the land, even as life changes. Spirit reveals how belonging is not a given; it cannot be assumed. Instead, it is the slow alchemy of work, friendships, love, loss and belief. It shadows the contours of individual lives and is tested by the rapid social change that is transforming rural areas. In a final scene, as villagers celebrate the Pandav Lila festival in collective euphoria, Saraswati explains how it feels to belong.