NOWNESS ASIA x Potato Head Film Series - Program #1

Directed by Kitty Yeung (PH)

Witness the glorious birth of a boundless deity who emerges from an apocalyptic era to create a new humanity – in this episode of the NOWNESS original series “Private View”, multidisciplinary artist Joshua Serafin collaborates with director Kitty Yeung on a cinematic extension of Serafin’s “Cosmological Gangbang” trilogy. Serafin explores the multiplicities that emerge when probing historical iconographies and imperial ideologies that remain normalised within postcolonial societies. Filmed in the province of La Union in the Philippines, this episode expands upon Serafin’s broader artistic process which is a “sociological exorcism” of Filipino identity, centring forms of Otherness and otherworldliness.

Directed by Sebastian Carandang (US)

A visual extension and sequel to artist Yeek's latest musical project titled "Muuv". A couple still in their “honeymoon phase,” an actor who decides to go for a night run
after filming a self-tape, and two musician/part-time construction worker friends
contemplating a big decision—all unknowingly close in proximity—each experience a
night filled with bonding, romance, loneliness, and self-reflection. Move explores emotions that weave together three subtly interconnected stories of individuals
navigating their lives, searching for purpose and meaning.

Directed by Prim Patnasiri (TH)

As the world comes to a pause during the pandemic, Kwan, Ploy, and Kawin look for belonging in their unconventional, fragile love. In Purple Dalha, Prim Patnasiri presents a tale of longing, love, and inevitable renewal through the eyes of three young individuals in their mid-20s. Kwan is haunted by dreams of other places and other lives. She often reflects on a mythical story that her absent mother once told her. In this story, a woman vowed to be reborn as a Dalha flower for the sake of love. The myth is a lingering, connecting thread in Kwan's memory of her absent mother. Will she follow this thread to an unknown place, away from a familiar love?

Directed by Marc Aziz Ressang (ID,ND) & Nathaniel Brown (USA)

In central Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, human manipulation of the environment has caused coastal villages to begin to sink into the sea. Although the area has become increasingly unliveable, most residents remain, clinging to the final vestiges of what is left of their communities. Featuring Javanese dancer Siko Setyanto and soundtracked by the experimental Javanese band Senyawa, Leleb is an intimate portrait of resilience and a reminder of the difficult and sometimes painful relationship between humanity and the space it occupies.

Directed by Kornpat Pawakranond (TH)

I Build a Castle for My Mother is a poetic art film that portrays a farewell between a mother and daughter through rare, traditional Lanna funeral rituals (Prasat Sop). Filmed in a contemporary style by the granddaughter, it offers a deeply personal and visually evocative exploration of love, loss, and cultural heritage. This film is an extended version of a scene that concluded the feature-length documentary, The Lost Princess (2024), which received critical acclaim in Thailand.

Directed by Riar Rizaldi (ID)

Mirage – Eigenstate weaves together analogous investigations into the nature of reality, positioning Western science as just one methodology among many pluralistic worldviews. The film explores different interpretations of reality, from Sufi mysticism and Monorealism to theories of quantum mechanics. Edited in the style of American astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan’s 1980s television show, Cosmos, which sought to explain the origin of life and the fourth spatial dimension, the film references scientific mass communication, where complex concepts are described in straightforward ways, often through images.