Banel & Adama. 87 min. In Pulaar w/English subtitles. Kino Lorber. 2023. DVD UPC 738329267261. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 738329267278. $29.99. DRAMA

Lifelong residents of a rural village in northern Senegal, ill-fated couple Banel (Khady Mane) and Adama (Mamadou Diallo) are devoted to each other but at odds with their clan. Banel doesn’t want children, and Adama can’t accept his what he calls his “blood duty” to serve as local chieftain. When a deadly drought hits, the community considers it the result of a curse. French Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy gets naturalistic performances from nonprofessional actors, framed in striking shots. VERDICT A relatable tale of the bonds of tradition versus individual dreams.

The Convert. 120 min. In English & Māori w/English subtitles. Magnolia. 2023. DVD UPC 876964018333. $26.99; Blu-ray UPC 876964018340. $29.99. DRAMA

A British lay minister and former soldier, Thomas Munro (Guy Pearce), is dispatched to New Zealand in 1830 to be a missionary to an English settlement amid a dispute between two Māori tribes. Though he tries to focus on spiritual matters, Munro soon takes sides—even showing Māoris how to load a musket—in what he believes to be the pursuit of justice. Cowriter and director Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors) brings an authenticity to the film’s representation of Māori culture, even while serving dramatic needs. VERDICT A worthy historical drama for fans of the genre.

June Zero. 105 min. In Hebrew w/English subtitles. Cohen. 2022. DVD UPC 738329267285. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 738329267292. $29.99. DRAMA

The trial and execution of Holocaust architect Adolph Eichmann in the early 1960s is shown in fictionalized form from three perspectives: the prosecutor (Thom Hagy), Eichmann’s prison guard (Yoav Levi), and an Israeli boy (Tzahi Grad) who enabled the cremation of Eichmann after he was executed. Cowriter and director Jake Paltrow takes a refreshingly unique approach to presenting familiar history that’s more impressionistic than procedural. He also explores moral implications without preachiness. VERDICT For viewers up for a new take on the Holocaust.

The Linguini Incident. 93 min. MVD. 1992. DVD UPC 760137148050. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 760137148036. $34.99. Rated: R. COMEDY

Rock star David Bowie plays a British bartender at a trendy New York eatery. He’s interested in marrying a waitress (Rosanna Arquette) in order to obtain his American green card, while she’s obsessed with becoming an escape artist in the tradition of Houdini. They unite in their plans to rob their employer. A throwback to screwball comedies of an earlier era, cowriter-director Richard Shepard’s box office flop (which became a cult hit when it reached VHS) is resurrected in a 4K scan with a new director’s-cut edit. VERDICT This mild curio should appeal to fans of 1980s and ’90s movies or of Bowie.

Marguerite’s Theorem. 115 min. In French w/English subtitles. Distrib Films / Icarus. 2023. DVD UPC 854565004221. $26.99. DRAMA

Nerdy but self-confident doctoral candidate Marguerite Hoffmann (Ella Rumpf) is crushed when a fellow graduate student identifies the flaw in her mathematics thesis. After quitting school and flailing in “the real world,” Marguerite, a diehard math whiz, takes another shot at solving one of the most vexing problems in numbers theory. She finds elusive romantic love in the process. Director Anna Novion’s character study of an obsessive genius recalls Ron Howard’s 2001 biopic A Beautiful Mind,about math savant John Nash. VERDICT An inspiring story that’s not overly formulaic.