The title Sandiwara is a Malay word meaning ‘theater’ or ‘play.’ True to its title, the film is a playful one-woman show by Michelle Yeoh, staged on the streets of the night market in Penang, Malaysia. In the film, Yeoh takes on five distinct characters, from a bubbly food YouTuber and a seasoned restaurant chef, to a singer stepping onto the stage with a nervous heart, a cool and imperious critic, and a lively waitress. Though it was created through the British fashion house Self-Portrait’s residency program, Sandiwara rises over a simple promotional video due to Yeoh’s vivacious performance as she moves effortlessly between the radically different characters, and Sean Baker’s direction and shooting, which absorb the distinctive atmosphere of Penang’s night market and translate it into the film’s own vitality. By the time its brief runtime of a little over ten minutes comes to an end and the credits roll, the vibrant energy created by the combination of space, performance, and directing will have turned into a smile on your face.
Sean Baker is an American filmmaker, best known for Take Out (2004), Starlet (2012), Tangerine (2015), The Florida Project (2017), and Red Rocket (2021). His 2024 film Anora won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
