In post-production, with a mooted delivery of July 2025, Kalari Kid by Maria Kaur Bedi and Satindar Singh Bedi concerns the study and practice of the eponymous kalari, the world’s oldest martial art, which is becoming increasingly significant in a society where violence against women is both a historical and a daily reality, the project notes for the film underline.
Produced by Esther van Messel of First Hand Films and fellow Swiss outfit Spirited Heroine, Kalari Kid is about “new heroines, in a country where violence against women is both historical and a daily reality,” the synopsis further reads. “Following Arushi (9) and Milena (21) in direct cinema style it asks whether the old martial art can be a tool for self-empowerment for women in India. Kalari Kid follows their fight for self-empowerment and the freedom to be the women they chose to be.”
Before DocsBarcelona 2025, First Hand Films’ Daniel Schneider outlined to BDE the dilemma at the heart of the film. “Violence against women is happening across the world. It’s criminal, a brutal form of discrimination and a violation of women’s fundamental rights,” he said. “According to a study by the EU commission, 1 in 3 women in the EU aged 15 or over have experienced physical and/or sexual violence. 1 in 2 women in the EU have experienced sexual harassment. In India, the situation is even worse.”
“Raising awareness is essential to spreading the clear message of zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women and girls,” he adds. “But in order to stand up against this, we need role models and inspiring stories that encourage people to take action. Stories that portray women not as victims, but as heroines—standing up for themselves.”
Kalari Kid is the filmmakers’s second feature documentary. “Beyond its cinematography in a direct cinema style, which creates an intimate connection with the film’s heroines, its strength lies in its stylish and bold visual portrayal of women as powerful individuals who take action for themselves and reclaim their space,” Schneider explains the specific look and feel of the film.
“By weaving together the lives of women of different ages, the film evokes the feeling of a single, continuous character arc — as if we are looking into Arushi’s future through the other older characters in the film. Even though the wild Arushi and the humble, shy Milena are completely different personalities, they seem to merge into different facets of one.”
As was evident at Impact Days in Geneva and Movies That Matter (both in March 2025), the outreach potential for the film is enormous. “We are planning to host a series of community screenings at various venues — schools, community centres, women’s shelters, and martial arts training localities — in both India and Europe, accompanied by women-led Kalari training sessions before or after the screenings,” says Schneider. “We are still looking for partners to help us organize these events and support the production of different language versions of the film — considering that India alone has 22 official languages.”
First Hand is close to closing the budget on the film before its July 2025 release. What will therefore constitute a satisfying DocsBarcelona for the Swiss outfit? “For the film [to find] an audience,” is Schneider’s reply, “whether this is through festivals, streamers, broadcasters and other distributors. And new impact partners.”
“We believe that films are a powerful tool to change minds because they foster empathy, allowing audiences to see the world through new perspectives,” Schneider adds. “By exposing them [audiences] to unfamiliar realities, it broadens their understanding of complex issues and connects them to untold stories.”
