Oasis of Now
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Polish premiereTheatrical Screenings
Kinoteka 2
Kinoteka 3
Additional Materials
Film description
Within the quiet confines of a Kuala Lumpur apartment building, the hidden lives of undocumented workers come into subtle focus. Among them is Hanh, a Vietnamese migrant, juggling her roles as a cleaner and caretaker while longing for the daughter she left behind. Her daily routine may seem ordinary, but beneath the surface, Hanh’s life is a delicate balance – surviving in a city that depends on her labor yet keeps her on the margins. As she moves through this enclosed world, her story becomes one of quiet resilience and the enduring hope of finding her place.
Oasis of Now marks the debut of Malaysian filmmaker Chee Sum Chia, a fresh voice in Southeast Asian cinema. Set in the dynamic and multicultural city of Kuala Lumpur, the film captures the unseen lives of migrant workers who power the city but exist in its shadows.
Drawing on personal observations of migrant workers in Kuala Lumpur, Chia crafts a deeply emotional narrative that reflects the delicate balance between resilience and invisibility, addressing themes of displacement, alienation, and the complex realities of life as an outsider.
text:
Sara Carotenuto
Chia Chee Sum
Chia Chee Sum is a Malaysian filmmaker and co-founder of theCommonist, a film and animation production company based in Malaysia and Thailand. He is an alumnus of prestigious film development programs such as the Asian Film Academy in Busan and Talents Tokyo, where he earned the 2020 Talents Tokyo Award. Chia’s debut feature, Oasis of Now, was developed at SEAFIC and presented at prestigious platforms like Locarno and Berlinale.
2012 Korn Fha Sang (short)
2016 Tido (short)
2018 High Way
2019 Otak-Otak (short)
2023 Oaza na chwilę / Oasis of Now
