European Premiere | In Competition
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Italy, Saudi Arabia, 2025, 129’, Mandarin, Hokkien, Thai, Malay
Directed by: Chong Keat Aun
Screenplay: Chong Keat Aun
Cinematography (color): Leung Ming Kai
Editing: Erik Moh
Art Direction: Soon Yong Chow
Music: Yii Kah Hoe, Chong Keat Aun
Producers: Wong Kew Soon, Stefano Centini, Zoey Teng
Cast: Fan Bingbing (Hong Im), Natalie Hsu (Boon), Bai Run-yin (Koon), Pearlly Chua (Har)
Date of First Release in Territory: May 14th, 2026
The border between Malaysia and Thailand is a frontier where religion, culture, and politics blur, and differences and rights intersect – or clash.
Mother Bhumi is set in this very particular landscape in the late 90s, at a time of change.
Hong Im (Fan Bingbing) is a widowed farmer of Siamese-Chinese descent, living in Bujang Valley with her two children and a buffalo. During the day, she toils on the farm, but she carries a much heavier burden than manual labor. Tending to both worldly and supernatural woes of her villagers, Hong Im longs for resolution, solace, and preservation.
Her fellow villagers still suffer the aftermath of the 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty and the long-standing border dispute. Their ancestral lands are being seized without their consent, often on grounds of lacking proper documentation. Using her connections at the local public office, Hong Im steps in to navigate a seemingly absurd bureaucratic system. While she appears realistic and grounded by day, at night she transforms into a spiritual healer, performing exorcisms to treat illnesses believed to be caused by spirits. Perhaps healing others allows her to forget the distress weighing on her own family.
A pleasant surprise in the role of Hong Im is Fan Bingbing, an award-winning actress and a global Chinese superstar, who perfectly delivers the dual life of Hong Im. Given her high profile and commercial success, the role of Hong Im marks a career shift for the actress. Beyond wearing a prosthetic nose and appearing without makeup, Fan reportedly underwent intensive training in shamanic rituals and multiple accents, rendering her almost unrecognizable. The dedication shines through her striking transformation in one of her most demanding characters to date.
Supporting Fan is Natalie Hsu, a familiar face to FEFF audiences following her role in
Last Song for You (2024), which screened as part of the festival’s 2025 lineup. Marking her second collaboration with director Chong after
Pavane for an Infant (2024), Natalie plays Boon, Hong Im’s daughter. The friction between Boon and Hong Im serves as a personification of the film’s larger theme: a desperate need to preserve and heal against the temptation to turn a blind eye and move on.
Further blending two opposites is what gets visually captured by the lens. In theory, the exotic supernatural rituals should clash with the grey, mundane office scenes; indeed, the specific use of camera angles and framing seemingly serves to differentiate the two worlds too. Yet, despite this contrast, the stunning cinematography – caressed by Mother Nature – invites us to dwell and digest the beauty of Bujang Village in a smooth sweep. In its long, lingering breaths, she silently yet loudly pronounces her presence.
Chong Keat Aun
Chong Keat Aun is an award-winning Malaysian filmmaker and community arts practitioner who was the first Chinese broadcaster to win the Seri Angkasa National Award in 2011. He gained international acclaim with his debut feature, The Story of Southern Islet (2020), winning Best New Director at the Golden Horse Awards. His subsequent works, Snow in Midsummer (2023) and Pavane for an Infant (2024), have continued to receive international recognition by securing major honors at festivals like Venice, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Fribourg.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
2020 – The Story of Southern Islet
2023 – Snow in Midsummer
2024 – Pavane for an Infant
2026 – Mother Bhumi