In 2023, the only way kids could get to school in a part of Pakistan’s Allai Valley was in a rickety cable car. That was until one car got stuck midair, high above a gaping valley, and then a cable snapped.

Lives held together only by faith and prayers were broadcast on live news while the government scurried to save the men inside the dangling tin car.

I remember watching the news clips and being both amazed and nervous back in 2003. When Mo Naqvi’s documentary on the incident and the rescue efforts, Hanging by a Wire, premiered at Sundance earlier this year, l was curious as how the filmmaker would relate a story that had already been heavily documented through news and social media. More importantly, I was intrigued if he’d be able to maintain that anxiety in his audiences, most of whom already knew how things ended that day.

And yes, he did. The documentary made me hold on to my seat, look away, bite my nails, and both cheer and jeer loudly. So many stories from South Asia get huddled together under the canopy of Bollywood and it’s such a joy to be witnessing a time where festivals are making space for stories that lie beyond the song and dance of it all.

Ultimately, it’s a story of human resilience and the ingenuity with which people approach problem solving as a community. It’ll also help you love your morning commute a bit more.

“Hanging by a Wire” plays Sun, Oct. 25, 3:15 p.m. at Film Society Bourse. filmadelphia.org

— Bedatri D. Choudhury

“Don’t you want more?”

That’s what a well-intentioned, persistently patronizing character named Bethel (Ni-Ni) repeatedly asks Horsegirl (Samora de la Brisa), a trans woman living in her small Pennsylvania hometown, in the play Horsegirl & Cowdaddy. The implication: Everyone under the LGBTQ+ umbrella would rather be in urban areas with larger queer and trans communities than call a rural town home.

At its core, this work by Philadelphia playwright DJ Hills is an ode to queer people from non-urban parts of the country who want to stay in their bucolic communities and remain true to themselves.

“There’s a present-day myth that trans people can only find happiness in metro areas and cities,” actor de la Brisa told The Inquirer last month. “We are everywhere. We exist in multitudes.”

Horsegirl & Cowdaddy had its world premiere at the Wilma Theater and the Cowdaddy in question, played by artistic director Lindsay Smiling, is the gruff, endearing, and devoted father. His love for Horsegirl never faltered after she came out as trans, a fact that shocks Bethel, an ambitious teacher who begins dating her.

There’s so much tender love in this play as de la Brisa and Smiling deliver beautiful chemistry. Ni-Ni’s presence throws their relationship off-balance, but neither father nor lover will prevent Horsegirl from becoming who she wants to be. In this case, it’s a literal horse (which is where the play gets gleefully strange, in the best way).

Though the Philadelphia stage run concluded, Horsegirl & Cowdaddy will next appear at New York’s Soho Rep (running Feb. 20 to March 21). Before then, the digital production is currently available to stream on Watch Wilma through Nov. 1.

— Rosa Cartagena

After weeks of anticipation, opening night at the 35th annual Philadelphia Film Festival was just as I envisioned. Multiple lines wrapped around the Philadelphia Film Society Center on Thursday night where Noah Segan’s latest The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, kicked off this year’s festival.

The film follows John Turturro’s Henry Lehman, an aging criminal whose kleptomania is spurred by survival and his willingness to care for those around him, especially his wife Rosie (played by Karina Arroyave), whose unexplained sickness has affected her speech and motor skills.

Turturro’s portrayal is rich with emotional depth. Through his eyes, I could recognize his pain, hurt, and regret. I also saw the moment his intuition and survival instincts kick in, when he is cornered by impending danger or failure, largely stirred by the cocky crypto bro, Dylan (Will Price), who chases down Turturro’s character for stealing a prized possession.

His riveting performance was only rivaled by Tatiana Maslany, who played his estranged daughter Kelly.

At times, Segan’s film loses its steam from inconsistent pacing and occasionally choppy dialogue. But The Only Living Pickpocket in New York was a great way to kick off the 35th rendition of the annual festival. Nights like these remind me of the magic of movie-making, and I’m excited to see what other mainstream releases, independent films, documentaries, international features, and Philly-based projects are slated to play through Oct. 25.

“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” is playing in area theaters.

— Earl Hopkins