India, Sept. 27 -- For three days, Shimla echoed with stories from across the world. From the quiet struggles of communities to questions of identity, displacement, climate and human resilience, the 12th International Film Festival of Shimla turned the 'Queen of Hills' into a cinematic crossroads, bringing together 96 films from 33 countries and 15 Indian states.

Two short films, Tenfa (a gift given by elders in the form of medicinal plants or herbs) and Chupi Roh (keep quiet), directed by Himachali filmmakers Nihaarika Negi and Disha Bhardwaj, brought the mountains into sharper focus, not simply as picturesque landscapes, but spaces where people negotiate relationships, struggles, identities and change.

Set in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnau...