An experimental dance short film, RITE OF PASSAGE follows a man who steps into a time passage. Will he choose to embrace the consistency of time or the unpredictability of nature? Through improvised movement and choreography, the film is a playful meditation on body, space, and the present moment.

FESTIVAL SELECTIONS & SCREENINGS

ROLLOUT Dance Film Festival (Macao), Feb 2023 - Special Mention Award
Athens International Film and Video Festival (USA, Oscar-qualifying), Oct 2021
San Francisco Dance Film Festival (USA), Oct 2021
Asian Film Archive's Singapore Shorts, Aug 2021
Montreal - The International Festival of Films on Art, Mar 2022
Minikino Film Week's Bali International Short Film Festival (Indonesia), Sep 2021
San Diego Underground Film Festival, Dec 2021
Fifth Wall Fest (Philippines), Oct 2021
Athens Video Dance Project (Greece), Dec 2021
ADF's Movies by Movers (USA), Jun 2022
Dogmilk Film x Minikino at KINGS Artist-Run (Australia), Nov 2022
MOV:MENT 2022 at *SCAPE Singapore, Dec 2022
London International Screen Dance Festival, Oct 2023

I created this film in Cinemovement Laboratory VI: Solo. Cinemovement Laboratory is a seven-day dance film laboratory programme that brings together filmmakers, choreographers and dancers from around Asia.

We shot the film in the green space within Studio Plesungan. The studio is an art space run by Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo in Solo, Indonesia.

Because we only had six hours to shoot this short film, I decided to keep the shoot to one location.

This dance short film is a reflection of my filmmaking journey so far, which had been unusual compared to most of my peers. I didn’t go to film school (I went to business school instead) and I had been mainly self-taught. As such, from time to time, I feel like an impostor.

However, as I turned 30, I have come to terms that my path will be a unique journey that is full of challenges, and these challenges will help me grow as a filmmaker and as a person. Life is a journey, not a destination.

For further reading, check out this Asian Film Archive's film essay (written by Elaine Thanya Marie Teo) that explores the film's themes.

Do also check out another short film of mine, "Just Because We're Friends".