The Sheep Thief

In this hauntingly poetic road movie, a teenage street thief named Tashan is caught stealing a sheep, shaved, and branded on the forehead, a mark of shame that marks him for life. Left for dead, he awakens and hides the brand beneath a headscarf. He wanders into rural India, where he encounters Safia, a young mother. Tashan’s quiet act of kindness grants him entry into her family’s circle, allowing him to glimpse acceptance and belonging, only for the brand to eventually betray him and threaten his fragile redemption.

This powerful tale of transformation explores the tension between societal stigma and personal change. With elements of magical realism, The Sheep Thief examines whether true redemption is possible and how identity is shaped, or reshaped, by experience. The film is noted for its sumptuous cinematography and evocative depiction of Rajasthan’s landscapes, elevating it as one of the most striking British shorts of the 1990s.

Lauded on the festival circuit, the short earned the Deuxième Prix in the Cinéfondation section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. It also received awards at the Brest European Short Film Festival, Melbourne, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Locarno, and more, cementing Kapadia’s early promise as a filmmaker with a distinctive visual and narrative voice.

As Kapadia’s graduation film, The Sheep Thief is a remarkable synthesis of myth, realism, and cinematic lyricism. It showcases his sensitivity to landscape, light, and human transformation, even in young, marginalised characters. The film lays the foundation for Kapadia’s later work, blending empathy with formal precision to powerful effect.