A case of mistaken identity throws an apolitical chemistry teacher into the maelstrom of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, in the striking debut feature from director Zahidur Rahim Anjan.

In this adaptation of a short story by celebrated novelist Akhteruzzaman Elias, Anjan eschews the histrionics typical of war films, bringing instead a patient minimalism to bear on his examination of the tensions between family and nationalism, love and loyalty. Meghmallar resonates with a profound — and ultimately devastating — humanism.