Becoming Human

The spirit of a place, embodied as a young woman, wanders through the ruins of an abandoned cinema in contemporary Cambodia, observing a world that is not always kind. Amid the remains of a venue that still echoes with its cinematic heyday, she remembers times gone by. As the last traces of her former home slowly disappear before her eyes, the guardian spirit meets a young journalist. Together, they contemplate whether she should return to the world of the living or, once the building has been completely demolished, remain a wandering soul.

In his feature-length debut, Polen Ly – a member of the Anti-Archive collective – invites viewers to drift gently through memories and reflect on a world that is slowly disappearing. This melancholic journey becomes a tender love letter to the golden age of Cambodian cinema, while also serving as a quiet plea to remember the tragedy that irrevocably cut short its history. Cambodia is home to many spirits who wander without an anchor, forgotten by all. Through Becoming Human, Polen Ly seeks to bring the past back into public discourse, as Cambodian society continues to grapple with its legacy. The film is Cambodia’s official submission for this year’s Academy Awards.

Age group: No age restrictions

[Łukasz Mańkowski]