The Little Republic

Running time: N/A

Welcome to the small, remote village of Rajasthan, India, where water is worth its weight in gold and the women, the ones working the hardest to get it, have the least say in the local council. Tired of endlessly digging wells while the men argue the days away, four strong-willed women decide to take matters into their own hands and start an application that could bring a pipeline to their village. Their journey, as they make their way through sun-parched deserts and acres of government red tape, takes on a larger meaning as they become increasingly more aware of their position in society. The Little Republic is former documentarian Anwar Jamal's feature film debut. Though its vivid imagery displays a ravishing visual style, the film is above all a bracing celebration of the determination and resilience of Indian women. With delicacy and subtlety, their trek becomes a microcosm of an entire people and a fascinating X-ray of the nation's caste system. - Fernando F. Croce