Fleeing with her 10-year-old daughter after the girl is promised in marriage as part of a peace treaty, the wife of a tribal chieftain is pursued through the mountains by both her husband and the intended groom’s henchmen.

The starkly beautiful and forbidding mountains of Pakistan provide the setting for the first feature from award-winning filmmaker Afia Nathaniel, a gripping drama about the power of maternal love in a land ruled by tribal honour.

Though Dukhtar is filled with drama, suspense, and adventure, the key to its overwhelming impact is its delicate underplaying, the gentle and finely wrought treatment that director Nathaniel brings to even the most explosive emotional moments. Inspired by a true story and offering stunning views of Pakistan's towering mountains, desolate salt plateaus and bustling cities, Dukhtar is a stirring testament to one brave woman's desire for freedom and dignity.