Pavane for an Infant

From director Chong Keat Aun comes a nuanced portrait of motherhood on the margins. Fish Liew plays Lai Sum, an employee at a center that takes in abandoned babies in Malaysia. Late at night she waits at a baby hatch where mothers unable to care for their infants can leave their children for adoption. When a pregnant teenage girl appears in the middle of the night, Lai finds herself compelled to help the girl escape her situation. Meanwhile pressure mounts as the center finds itself at odds with religious groups opposing their mission. A sensitive and poetic film, Pavane for an Infant examines a difficult social issue in Malaysia, but does so with empathy, depth and levity. With director Chong at the helm, Fish Liew and Natalie Hsu lend stunning performances to the narrative, elevating this beautiful film to one of the most powerful of the year.