Ladakh Festival screens award-winning short film ‘Dutpa (The Knot)’

Film explores rural-urban migration and loneliness of elderly people left behind; filmmakers interact with audience after Leh screening

LEH: The Ladakh Festival 2026 screened the award-winning short film ‘Dutpa (The Knot)’ at Rang Thang, Leh, bringing its story of rural-urban migration, loneliness and the lives of elderly people left behind before a local audience for the film’s first public screening in Ladakh.

Directed by Tsering Angdu Lhonpo and Tashi Dawa, the film features Deachen Yangdol in the lead role. The screening was followed by an interaction involving the filmmakers and cast, giving audiences an opportunity to discuss the film’s narrative and the social issues explored through it.

‘Dutpa’ examines the consequences of migration from rural areas to urban centres, particularly for elderly family members who remain behind. Through a nuanced narrative, the film portrays loneliness, isolation and the emotional trauma of separation, with the story taking a darker turn as the consequences of being left behind unfold.

The film has earned recognition at several national and international platforms. At the Zee Short Film Contest 2026 in Mumbai, ‘Dutpa’ won Best Film in the Other Language Category and reached the Grand Finale from nearly 2,000 entries from across India.

The film was also selected for the International Competition Section of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026 and received an Honourable Mention at the Greece International Film Festival 2026.

The Ladakh Festival screening marked the film’s first public release through a screening in Ladakh, allowing local audiences to engage with a production that examines changing social relationships and the effects of migration on families and communities.

During the post-screening interaction, members of the audience engaged with the filmmakers and actors and gained insights into the making of the film, its narrative treatment and the social themes underpinning the story.

Deputy Director Tourism, UT Ladakh, Mohd Taqi, JKAS, presented mementos to Deachen Yangdol’s daughter, actor Nawang Chopal, and filmmakers Tsering Angdu Lhonpo and Tashi Dawa.

The screening formed part of the cultural programme of the Ladakh Festival 2026, providing a platform for audiences in Leh to engage with a short film that has already travelled to national and international film platforms.