Friends of AFA members may bring a friend for free by choosing the “General + Friends of AFA” option that covers one pair of tickets.
The feature film The Story of Southern Islet will screen after the short film Flying Dream.
Flying Dream (2018)
Director: Jai Jai
Runtime: 24 minutes
Country: Myanmar
Language: Shan
Rating: PG
Synopsis
A small piece of paper aeroplane holds young Mong Thongdee’s dreams. Born to illegal migrants who fled to Thailand from the civil war in Myanmar, Mong was born on a lychee farm without a legal birth certificate from Thailand. After emerging first in regional and national paper aeroplane competitions, Mong is invited to represent Thailand in an international competition in Japan. Stateless, Mong becomes tangled in the mounting legal obstacles that prevent him from leaving the country or even traveling across borders between provinces.
The Story of Southern Islet (Nan Wu) (2020)
Director: Keat Aun Chong
Runtime: 105 minutes
Country: Malaysia
Language: Hokkien, Chinese, Malay
Rating: PG13 (Some Disturbing Scenes)
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Awards
BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Golden Horse Film Festival 2020
FIPRESCI PRIZE
Hong Kong International Film Festival 2021
Synopsis
Woven from the filmmaker’s memories of growing up in the paddy fields of Kedah, a valley located on the border between Thailand and Malaysia, The Story of Southern Islet explores the entwined spirituality and folklore of Siamese and Malaysian identity through a woman’s journey to save her bedridden husband. As he becomes increasingly incapacitated with an incurable sickness, his skeptical wife becomes drawn to the local shamans and deities in a desperate search for a cure.
Commanding a cinematic melange of wide long shots, de-centered framing, and warm lighting, the film suggests that the palpable spaces on screen may be inhabited by an otherworldly existence. Undetectable by human sight, these spectral bodies transcend modern rationalities.
For the full Reframe: INLAND, ISLAND programme, please visit the main programme page here.
Oldham Theatre’s opening hours
Friends of AFA members may select the “Friends of AFA” option and enter your membership number if you wish to redeem your remaining complimentary tickets.
For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org
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