1940, Northern Quebec. On an icy winter’s day, little Jules and his mother settle into his uncle’s house on indigenous land in eastern Canada. The uncle, the mayor of the local town, has made it clear that the boy will not attend school because of his unusual skin condition. Being home schooled, he spends his time in isolation. Jules enjoys every minute with his dog and gets to know his new environment. One day, he meets an indigenous girl, Asha, by the river. The boy is drawn to the nearby forest and its secrets, and no one knows this side of the world better than his newfound friend. 

This is a heartfelt film about the importance of friendship and daring to transcend language barriers, social backgrounds and prejudices. In Adventures in the Land of Asha, which has been the audience favourite at numerous children’s and family film festivals, Canadian director Sophie Farkas Bolla tackles the historically complex and ambiguous relationship between newcomers and indigenous peoples with finely tuned empathy and honesty. The task of talking about the past is not an easy one, but the historical film’s young actors, the cleverness of its plot and its transcendent landscapes will transport the viewer to a place where faith in the good is born. And alongside this, there is also a curiosity about the world around us.