In a historic watershed moment for South Asian cinema, the Nepali feature film Elephants in the Fog (कुहिरोभित्रका हात्तीहरू) has won the prestigious Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The triumph marks the first time in history that a Nepali film has won a major award at the world’s most celebrated film festival.
The victory carries immense weight, as the film was already celebrating a milestone just by being selected. It was the first-ever Nepali feature film to enter the Un Certain Regard section—the festival’s highly regarded parallel competition that champions bold, innovative storytelling and emerging cinematic voices.
Making the Invisible Visible
Written and directed by Abinash Bikram Shah in his feature directorial debut, Elephants in the Fog is set in Thori, a forested village nestled in Nepal’s southern Terai plains. The narrative masterfully parallels the physical threat of wild elephant encounters with the societal vulnerabilities faced by a community of transgender (Kinnar) women living on the margins of society.
The story centers on Pirati (played with incredible gravitas by Pushpa Thing Lama), the steadfast matriarch of the community. Pirati quietly harbors dreams of escaping her difficult reality to start a conventional life with the man she loves. However, her personal desires are violently disrupted when one of her surrogate daughters mysteriously vanishes. Refused help by both the local villagers and the police, Pirati is forced to spearhead her own investigation, confronting an impenetrable heart of social prejudice and choosing between her own freedom and her collective duty to protect her sisters.
Taking the stage to accept the award alongside his cast, director Abinash Bikram Shah delivered a deeply emotional acceptance speech:
“For so long, the lives of Pirati and her daughters, the communities and all the persons who are in the East, have been kept invisible. By bringing our story here and by recognizing it with this award, we have pulled those margins into the light. We have made the invisible visible.”
A Triumph of Collaboration and Authentic Casting
Rather than relying purely on conventional setups, Shah blended an ensemble of seasoned professional actors with non-professionals from the queer and minority communities, creating an unyielding sense of authenticity and raw emotional depth.
The production is a massive global collaboration, co-presented by Nepali banners Underground Talkies Nepal and Jayanthi Creations, alongside co-production partners spanning France, Germany, Brazil, and Norway. The film’s distinct atmosphere was brought to life through the fluid, rich cinematography of Noé Bach and an immersive musical score by Frédéric Alvarez.
The Rise of Abinash Bikram Shah
While this feature debut has shocked parts of the international circuit, Shah is no stranger to the Croisette. In 2022, his short film Lori (लोरी) secured a Special Mention Jury Award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, establishing him as a voice to watch. He also holds acclaimed screenwriting credits for landmark Nepali films like Kalo Pothi (The Black Hen), Highway, and Tatini, all of which enjoyed successful runs across the global festival circuit.
As the 2026 Cannes Film Festival draws to a close, Elephants in the Fog stands as a definitive turning point for Nepal’s creative industry—proving that intensely local, deeply marginalized stories possess a universal resonance capable of captivating the global stage.