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Becoming Human

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A Window on Asian Cinema, 2025

Becoming Human

환생: 상실의 끝에서

Director Polen LY

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★Avg. rating

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Official selection

City/UrbanizationReligion/SpiritualityHistory/War

Cambodia, a country that is rapidly changing. Thida is a ghost who resides in an abandoned movie theater, soon to be demolished. One day, Hai visits to document childhood memories of the theater, and the two soon feel a strong bond. Thida must leave this place to be reborn in her next life. However, not wanting to live in the human world again, Thida refuses the process of moving on to the afterlife and sets off on a journey with Hai. Becoming Human is the feature debut of Polen has consistently addressed environmental and social issues through his short films and documentaries. The film was selected as one of the final four projects for the 2024-2025 Biennale College Cinema. Thida carries the scars of the horrific Khmer Rouge period of the 1970s, while Hai, living in the 2020s, bears the loss of his home due to indiscriminate urban development. In the calm, flowing conversations between Thida and Hai, Cambodia′s historical trauma and contemporary pain are laid bare.

Programme note by BOO Kyunghwan

Stills5

Becoming Human 1

Becoming Human 2

Becoming Human 3

Becoming Human 4

Becoming Human 5

Screenings3

Fri, 09/19

12:3014:34

LOTTE CINEMA Centum City 2

123Guest Q&AKE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue

Sat, 09/20

20:0022:04

LOTTE CINEMA Centum City 2

203Guest Q&AKE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue

Wed, 09/24

17:0018:39

CGV Centum City 1

499KE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue

Film details

Director: Polen LY
Country/Region: Cambodia
Year: 2025
Length: 99min
Section: A Window on Asian Cinema
Edition: Busan International Film Festival 2025, No. 30
Original language: Khmer
Format: DCP, Color
Selection: Official selection
Elsewhere: Festival page Letterboxd IMDb Wikidata TMDB Douban

Director

Polen LY

Credits

Director: Polen LY
Producer: Daniel MATTES
Cast: Savorn SERAK, Piseth CHHUN
Screenplay: Polen LY
Cinematography: Son DOAN
Production design: Bandiddh PRUM
Editing: Kavich NEANG
Sound: Vincent VILLA
Music: Jean-Charles BASTION, Pierre Édouard DUMORA
Production company: Anti-Archive

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Festival history2

Tokyo International Film Festival, 2026CROSSCUT ASIA+, Official selection Busan International Film Festival, 2025A Window on Asian Cinema, Official selection

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Becoming Human — enMain poster for en

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