Directed by Shashwati Talukdar and Cheryl Hess, Marriage Cops is set within the busy walls of a Dehradun police station, where a team of dedicated officers remain committed to helping troubled marriages. From domestic conflict to cases of violence, Officer Sandhya and her team are committed to offering aid to the families of India during a time where women’s rights continue to evolve.

Taking us inside the walls of the police station, Talukdar and Hess bring us into the madness of marriages at their most broken. As each couple enters into the process of reconciliation (hopefully), Marriage Cops simply sits back and allows these families to unleash their stories with raw, emotional intensity. From the toxicity of male dominance to physical abuse, each case study sits with people at their most broken.

As each couple (or their extended families) sit in front of the cops themselves, they come as people who feel like they’re out of options yet are not always looking for solutions. For some families, they are looking for the most basic solutions. (“Don’t beat your wife” feels like a low bar to clear but, for some, that’s a necessary statement.) However, others are simply looking for someone to give them what they want.

As a result, perhaps the most amazing people within Marriage Cops are the counsellors themselves. Faced with an endless stream of broken relationships, we are reminded of the extreme emotional stress that must be placed upon them on a daily basis. (“It’s not physical labour as much as mental,” we’re told.) Even so, they remain steadfast in their quest for genuine reconciliation in the homes of India.

There’s something profound about that level of dedication that Hess and Talukdar capture on camera. With an eye towards women’s rights, these officers do anything possible to ensure their safety within the home. There’s honour in their service but, more importantly, compassion in their hearts.

Marriage Cops is available at HotDocs ’25. For more information, click here.