Dolma treks to the village of Kandar to deliver the first baby to be born there in 10 years. Nestled in a rugged valley, the village lies almost abandoned following deadly landslides caused by massive hydroelectric construction. When the childbirth goes awry, and without access to medical facilities, Dolma’s only hope to save the new mother’s life is to find a rare indigenous herb known to heal. The single person who can identify the plant is an elderly grandmother raising her granddaughter. The three women journey across scarred ancestral land searching for the medicinal herb, their only guide being a folksong in a language that Dolma has forgotten and the granddaughter has never learnt.
Closely collaborating with the Kinnauri community and drawing from her own family history, Nihaarika Negi soulfully brings to life a riveting intergenerational tale that is both deeply intimate and monumental in scope. Her innovative storytelling intricately weaves together an enchanting narration in whisper, a fading language that endures in folksong, and rare archival footage. With textural depth and incisiveness, Tenfa invites us to consider the erosion of landscape, culture and memory, and urges us to contemplate the true meaning of progress.
Nihaarika Negi
Nihaarika Negi is a part-Indigenous, award-winning interdisciplinary artist and Berlinale Talent. Merging film, theatre, and XR with contemporary performance, folktale, and magical realism, she creates work that celebrates our imaginative potential for healing and change. Described as “revelatory” (MoMA) and “a breakthrough for Indian theatre” (The Hindu), her work has been supported by Sundance+WIF, Film Independent, and UK ACE. Key credits include A City Of Foxes (VR; Venice Biennale, CNC), The Threshold (Feature; NYIFF, Disney+), and Hunger (Graphic Novel; Simon & Schuster). She holds an MA in Theatre Practice (Exeter) and an MFA from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program.
