Not a Hero

Special Mention, Generation Kplus, 2026 Berlin International Film Festival

Time flows differently in worlds shaped by immediacy and worlds basking in waiting. In NOT A HERO, city dwelling 11-year-old Mivan is sent to his ancestral village to live with his aunt Pahi for unknown financial reasons. Equipped with wireless red headphones and a smart phone, Mivan witnesses, absorbs, and befriends his new rural surroundings.

Paralleling its title, NOT A HERO never glorifies or villainizes characters, conflicts, or circumstances. Instead, the film allows tension to fill the screen as beautifully as the landscape that stretches across the frame. Our protagonist encounters contradiction with curiosity, taking his friends to the fair, paying for snacks through QR codes, or exploring his father’s abandoned bedroom. Technology causes friction with nature. Relationships breathe through silence and restraint. The subtlest actions reveal social norms. Mivan learns to adapt to the village tenderly as he responds to the various stimuli in this new setting.

Following Village Rockstars and Village Rockstars 2, Director Rima Das’s latest feature continues to center children’s perspective, and how kids accept their realities messily and without ideology. Gently, NOT HERO reminds us to be more like kids and create space for openness in a world that often demands clearcut fast-paced conclusions.

– Alissa Tu