Asha's 'Wish' (2023)
Asha, the main character, is a biracial woman who discovers the power of magic wishing dust.

In the village of Rockspring, the election of "little sheriff" is taking place, whereby a child is chosen to assist the local sheriff for a week. When a young girl is kidnapped, the sheriff sets off to rescue her, and the children organize their own search party to free their friend.
Asha, the main character, is a biracial woman who discovers the power of magic wishing dust.
The death of Grace's father brings challenges as the family tries to preserve their ranch.
The differences in these films could not be more blatant, and yet Gus Van Sant has found a way to portray the same messages and use the same techniques in each.
Over the last several years, I have had the privilege of being one of the critics having the opportunity to watch and review several films from writer/director/producer Marcellus Cox, whose efforts are never anything less but grounded, relevant, and steeped in unflinching glimpses illustrating the gripping, inspired, and ever-vacillating realms that make up the human condition.
The second film takes us on Peter's journey to be understood.
Hope has great characters, inventive ideas, an incredible imagination, a palpable intensity, and numerous other aspects that make it one of the best of the year.