SYNOPSIS
Set in a remote Himalayan town during the Kargil War, Secret of a Mountain Serpent tells the intimate story of Barkha, a schoolteacher whose husband is away at the border. In a place where most men are gone and the days echo with silence, Barkha finds herself drawn to Manik Guho, a mysterious outsider who disrupts the fragile balance of waiting, restraint, and myth. As his presence reawakens long-buried yearnings, in Barkha and the other women of the village, a whispered local folklore comes alive: a serpent that lives in the forbidden river, still waiting after a thousand years for the promise of love unkept. This is a poetic exploration of desire and freedom, where myth and memory blur, inviting both women and men into a deeply sensual, haunting journey through love, longing and transformation.
DIRECTOR
Nidhi Saxena is an Indian writer and filmmaker with a background in painting, sculpture, and literature. Her artistic work centers on emotional interiority, mythology, and the daily nuances of women’s lives. Her debut feature, Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman, premiered at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival to international acclaim. With Secret of a Mountain Serpent, selected as a Finalist Project by Biennale College Cinema 2024–25, she extends her exploration into feminine solitude, community memory, and the quiet rebellion of desire. She is the founder of Forest Flower Films, which produces intimate, visionary cinema from South Asia.
