“Farah,” a bread seller, walks the streets of a Middle Eastern town, while an American military vehicle slowly passes by. A moment’s silence. Then, a devastating explosion. Civilians are wounded. The horrors of war. “Farah” looks around aghast and wailing. But nothing here is quite what it seems.

In this bold, assured and irreverent debut, Hailey Gates plays with expectations of war and femininity, and combines them in a wholly original vision. Starring Alia Shawkat as a charismatic aspiring actress, Shako Mako is a relatable story of self-affirmation set in an unusual, surprising context.