A Rifle and a Bag

Expecting their second child—a daughter, she hopes—Somi and her husband brace for a new chapter in their family life. That means enrolling their son in school, a daunting task for ex-Naxalites in modern India, where they’re treated as second-class citizens. Missing paperwork and a tangled bureaucracy stand in their way. Directors Isabella Rinaldi, Cristina Hanes, and Arya Rothe of the NoCut Film Collective zoom in on Somi’s tight-knit family, offering a glimpse into the lives of former rebels. Once communist fighters for tribal rights, Somi and her husband surrendered for modest compensation and a simple home, prioritizing their family’s future.