The Men’s Land

Ana, 22, is on the verge of fulfilling her dream: leaving the remote village of Ushguli for the big city, where she hopes to study singing. To fund this new life, she sets out to transform the house left to her by her father into a guesthouse. But her momentum is soon brought to a halt. In the centuries-old village of Ushguli, the land belongs to men, and women can only inherit if a male member of the extended family agrees to validate their claim. Ana pins her hopes on Levan, her cousin and near-brother. But he rejects her request outright, intent on claiming the inheritance for himself. Faced with this stark injustice, Ana responds not with words, but with her body, through the powerful songs that arise when speaking is of no use. The Men’s Land confronts us with the raw and unyielding brutality of a patriarchal tradition, and with two irreconcilable visions of the world. But one thing is certain: Ana will relinquish neither her rights nor her dreams — no matter how long and arduous the path to reach them may be.

Katy Léna Ndiaye

The Men's Land, 2025
Dede, 2017
Dinola, 2013