Aiko, a makeup artist working in Moscow, endured domestic violence during her childhood and has since cut ties with her father. One day, she receives the news of her father’s death, and with mixed emotions, she returns to her hometown to attend the funeral. There, Aiko meets her father’s second wife and her half-sibling. She is struck by the fact that the father, who was a monster to her, showered boundless love and kindness on them. This realization leaves Aiko feeling both angry and helpless. Dad Croaked on Saturday, the feature fiction debut by documentary filmmaker Zaka Abdrakhmanova, is set in a small village in Kazakhstan and revolves around three women who must become a new family. While the director chose the most familiar setting to her, the film is not an overtly ethnic or social commentary; rather, it tells a universal story that could unfold anywhere in the world. (HONG Sang-woo)