CACTUS PEARS (SABAR BONDA)

Anand, a Mumbai-based call-center worker, returns to his ancestral village in western India to observe a ten-day mourning ritual after his father's death. In a climate of family pressure to marry, he reconnects with Balya, his childhood friend who has similarly resisted societal expectations. As they herd goats and share long walks, their bond evolves into a gentle, intimate romance—both emotional and physical— growing in the shadow of grief and tradition. Sundance World Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, Cactus Pears is a tender debut feature: a meditative exploration of queer love emerging amid mourning, community pressures, and the beauty of rural intimacy.