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Becoming Human

Becoming Human

Becoming Human

Dir. Polen Ly
99 min

Thida is a ghost keeping watch over a beloved abandoned cinema. Enter Hai, a journalist, who comes to document the theater before it is demolished. With the prospect of losing her home, Thida is offered rebirth, and so, with Hai, they explore the past, present and future to determine whether or not she even wants to be human again. Polen Ly’s supernatural debut feature examines the meaning of cinema in our lives, as well as the Cambodian genocide, in this meditative and gorgeous film that charmed and moved audiences at the Vienna Biennale.

Film Details

Festival Programs & Themes: Asian Frontiers, Breakthrough
Film Type: Fiction Feature
Release Year: 2025
Runtime: 99 min
Country/Region: Cambodia
Language: Khmer
Print Source: Lights On
Tags: Drama, Environment & Sustainability
Program: SEE ALL MSPIFF45 FILMS

Cast/Crew

Director: Polen Ly
Executive Producer: Natalyn Ang
Producer: Daniel Mattes
Cinematographer: Son Doan
Screenwriter: Polen Ly
Editor: Kavich Neang
Composer: Jean-Charles Bastion, Pierre Édouard Dumora
Principal Cast: Savorn Serak, Piseth Chhun