Rima Das returns to Berlinale with 'Not a Hero', selected for Generation Kplus competition

Guwahati, Jan 15: National Award-winning Assamese filmmaker Rima Das is set to return to the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, popularly known as the Berlinale, with her new feature film Not a Hero.

The film will have its world premiere at the 76th edition of the festival in 2026 and has been selected for the Generation Kplus Competition, marking Das’s third appearance at the globally renowned cinematic event.

Set across urban and rural landscapes, Not a Hero traces the journey of a young boy navigating an unfamiliar world that quietly reshapes his understanding of strength, masculinity and belonging.

Through this intimate coming-of-age narrative, the film poses a timely question: what does heroism truly mean in today’s world?

While retaining her signature observational and realist style, Das turns her lens towards urban childhood for the first time, examining the subtle and often unspoken pressures children experience as they grow up.

The story unfolds with emotional restraint, allowing moments of silence and everyday interactions to reveal deeper truths.

Shot in Assamese, Hindi and English, the film stars Bhuman Bhargav Das, who earlier appeared in Das’s Tora’s Husband alongside Sukanya Boruah and a cast of non-professional actors.

Not a Hero marks Das’s first collaboration with cinematographer Aditya Varma and is also her first feature since Village Rockstars to be shot with a dedicated director of photography.

Produced under Das’s banner Flying River Films in association with Akanga Film Asia, the film blends scripted storytelling with lived reality, creating an intimate and quietly subversive cinematic space.

The narrative follows a young protagonist exiled from city comforts to his ancestral village, where he encounters a bitter aunt, befriends a horse and joins local children on untamed adventures, ultimately discovering a courage he never knew he possessed.

Speaking about the film, Das said Not a Hero grew out of her curiosity about how children understand strength without fear or expectation. She explained that the film explores a form of courage rooted in kindness, awareness and coexistence, opening space for reflection across generations.

The film will premiere on February 14, 2026. This year’s Generation section at the Berlinale includes 18 feature films and 23 short films from 31 countries, featuring 30 world premieres and ten feature debuts.

Rima Das is widely acclaimed for her deeply personal, indigenous-rooted storytelling. In 2024, she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her films Village Rockstars, Bulbul Can Sing, Tora’s Husband and Village Rockstars 2 have screened at over 150 international festivals and collectively won more than 75 awards worldwide, cementing her place as one of India’s most distinctive contemporary filmmakers.