The River Remembers (Two Films by Firdaus Balam: Anak Seletar & Bagan)

The River Remembers

Two Films by Firdaus Balam: Anak Seletar & Bagan

ANAK SELETAR (2019) by Firdaus Balam

Synopsis: Sungai Temon, home to the Seletar People. It houses a dying tribe, one of the three original indigenous tribes in Malaysia. Despite living in one of the most rapidly developing regions in the nation, they remain virtually unknown to the general public. Shy from the public eyes, their ways of life are threatened by surrounding development. This documentary captures the life of the tribe through the eyes of the children that run through creeks, find happiness in nature and learn from it.

Bagan (2020) by Firdaus Balam

Synopsis: Frankie lives at home with his grandma while his peers go off to school. When a Government notice arrives one day announcing land reform of his village, Frankie is unable to read it. Too proud to ask his best friend Gamat for help, he spirals into rage and later, regret. Bagan tells the story of the final days of a dying village, told through the eyes of a pair of adolescents; when innocence clashes with the harsh reality of growing up and moving on.

Together, these films flow like the rivers they depict - carrying memory, joy, and urgency.

✨ Join us for this special double bill and witness how The River Remembers.

3rd and 4th October screening will be held at level 6 of Dasein Academy.