The Sweet Requiem (Kyoyang Ngarmo), the award-winning film by Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin (a husband and wife filmmaking team) which had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival will open theatrically at IFC Center in New York on July 12. Other cities will follow.

This bold new work from directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam (Dreaming Lhasa) is a tale of tragedy, retribution, and courage. Shifting between a present-day struggle to overcome trauma and flashbacks to a harrowing trek through the Himalayas, The Sweet Requiem offers an unforgettable reflection on the refugee crisis in a part of the world too rarely reported on.

Dolkar (Tenzin Dolker in her acting debut) is a 26-year-old living in exile in Delhi. An unexpected encounter with a figure from her past sets off a flurry of memories she had long repressed regarding the journey that brought her here. Dolkar was only eight when she and her father left their Tibetan home in a desperate attempt to start anew in a safer land. As memories of what became a disastrous expedition take shape, Dolkar resolves to confront the man she believes responsible.

The Sweet Requiem authentically captures the life-and-death stakes of the real-life escape across the border, but the film’s deeper insights emerge from the complex and shifting allegiances Dolkar must navigate in exile.