Pili

Under the blazing sun in rural Tanzania, single mother Pili tills the fields for a subsistence wage. She's saved almost enough money to put a deposit on a kiosk in the local market, but numerous obstacles stand in the way, not least facing up to the HIV diagnosis she's been keeping secret from the community. Based on the real-life experiences of local women, this is humanist cinema at its finest, allowing us a glimpse inside these hard-scrabble lives, and the daunting medical emergency engulfing East African communities. Among a sterling cast of non-professionals, Bello Rashid is a standout in the title role, remaining resilient and steadfast as events bring her close to breaking point. Director Leanne Welham (BBC's Conversations with Friends) keeps the focus tight and economical, and builds nail-biting suspense as the stakes increase. The result is utterly gripping and well worth discovering.