Published: July 05, 2023| 11:00 AM

In a village in Darjeeling in northern India, restlessness hangs in the air as the cardamom prices plummet. What’s more, a dangerous leopard is prowling the area. A nine-year-old Guras has only one worry – her beloved dog went missing. A distant barking on the other side of the valley gives her the courage to embark on a rescue mission into the unknown lands of tea plantations and fragrant spices. 

The mystical drama titled simply Guras is the second feature film by Indian filmmaker Saurav Rai. The world premiere starts at 4:00 p.m. at the Karlovy Vary Municipal Theatre.

Dark Matter, the second Wednesday premiere in the Proxima Competition, takes us to Iran. A young actor and an aspiring actress are brought together by failure at a casting for a high-budget film. Together they decide to ditch the rules and make their own film with their dream roles. Even if it means robbing a bank.

Karim Lakzadeh’s black-and-white joyride is a stylistic homage to the French New Wave and rebels against Iranian regulations on hijabs in film. The film will be screened at the Karlovy Vary Municipal Theatre from 7:00 p.m.