24th New York Asian Film Festival

July 11-27, 2025

Photo: © SUNSTRONG ENTERTAINMENT

North American Premiere

Pavane for an Infant

搖籃凡世

Beneath Kuala Lumpur’s neon hush, Lai Sum (Fish Liew) tends a clandestine baby-hatch where heartbreak flickers into hope. When she shelters schoolgirl Siew Man (Natalie Hsu), their fragile alliance collides with Malaysia’s moral vigilantes, driving them through back-alleys and bureaucratic labyrinths. Golden Horse winner Chong Keat Aun (The Story of Southern Islet) directs a polyglot cradle song, Cantonese, Malay, Mandarin, English, whose 117-minute rhythm shifts from lullaby to alarm. Fresh from electrifying Tokyo’s Asian Future competition and winning Fribourg’s Youth Jury Prize, this Malaysia–Hong Kong triumph arrives urgent, tender, unforgettable. Experience its haunting grace on the finest arthouse screen in town, and share a journey of life-saving courage with everyone you care about.

Director: Chong Keat Aun
Producer: Wong Kew Soon
Cast: Fish Liew, Natalie Hsu, Ben Yuen, Pearlly Chua, Yuan Teng
Languages: Malay, Cantonese, English, Mandarin with English
2024; 117 min.; DCP

SCHEDULE:

Saturday July 12, 3:00pm
Film at Lincoln Center

Intro and Q&A with director Chong Keat Aun and actress Natalie Hsu