Becoming Human (2025)

Polen Ly | Cambodia | 2025 | 99 min | PG The guardian spirit of a cinema that is about to be demolished becomes friends with a human as she faces the prospect of rebirth. In Battambang, Cambodia, an ageing cinema is scheduled for demolition. Hai, a local journalist, sneaks in to say goodbye, only to encounter the guardian spirit of the theatre, Thida. As the two begin to spend hours in conversation, they forge a deep bond, each being a victim of abandonment caused by a nation chasing development and change. Their friendship turns into an exploration of grief and the fragility of loss, as Thida is assigned to be reborn, and Hai accepts the loss of his home due to encroaching mining operations. Becoming Human is a tender story that moves through transient spaces and offers compassion as an answer to finding resilience to move forward.