In the remote landscapes of Iran’s Qashqai nomadic communities, Vanishing Tracks follows a family of shepherds as they prepare for their annual migration. At the same time, their sons, educated in the city and increasingly drawn toward modern life, quietly begin to question whether they will carry on the family tradition. Director Hamed Zolfaghari, staying just steps behind his subjects, has an eye for the cinematic as events unfold, creating a lyrical, deeply human portrait of a way of life under pressure, suspended in an uneasy interregnum—still functioning but perhaps already in its twilight.
Courtesy of Tiny Giant
Slippery, provocative, and at times uncomfortable, this dark comedy lingered the longest from my Tribeca selection. Described by director Doron Max Hagay as “a very dry, awkward comedy of toxic friendships,” it follows a middle-aged woman whose unexpected bond with an 18-year-old girl unsettles the fragile architecture of her life—and exposes what happens when the people who keep your life stable also prevent you from changing. Hagay—whose background includes shorts, specials, and TV (including SNL and Hacks)—cowrote this first feature with longtime collaborators and leads, Blair Beeken and Katy Fullan; look out for cameos from comedians Kate Berlant, John Early, and Patti Harrison. Given its premise, its refusal to signal how audiences should feel is impressive—and increasingly rare in contemporary cinema.
