Director: Badrul Ismail Hisham
Runtime: 107 minutes
Country: Malaysia
Language: Malay and English with English subtitles
Rating: R21

Synopsis

Set within the span of a day, a 50-year-old art gallery owner from an aristocratic Malay family seeks approval to marry Damian, her younger boyfriend from Sierra Leone. Despite her independence and success, Maryam must navigate a labyrinth of formalities and expectations—both familial and institutional—that govern her right to choose. Along the way, she faces a series of encounters that quietly expose the underlying tensions of race, class, and gender in the society around her. 

Maryam is the debut feature by Malaysian director Badrul Hisham Ismail. The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2023 and won Best Actress and Best Original Film at the Asian Film Festival in Rome in 2024. 

This screening is part of the programme RECIPROCAL 2025. For more screenings from the programme, please click here. 

Friends of AFA members, please read the membership guide on how to purchase your discounted tickets and redeem your complimentary tickets.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre operates on a free seating arrangement. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime so arrive early to choose a seat and avoid disrupting the screenings as AFA does not play ads and screenings will start promptly.

All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.

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T&Cs
Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.

Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.

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