Director Chong Keat Aun, known for his evocative storytelling rooted in Southeast Asian history and folklore, is completing his latest feature, “Mother Bhumi,” a multi-lingual drama weaving land disputes, mysticism and female empowerment.
The film is selected for the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project market that operates concurrently with Hong Kong FilMart.
Set in a northern Malaysian village in the late 1990s, “Mother Bhumi” follows Hong Im (Fan Bingbing), a widow farmer who spends her days toiling in the paddy fields and her nights healing villagers as a ritual practitioner. But when a series of mysterious events force the truth about her husband’s death to resurface, she must navigate the complex web of history, politics and her own past.
With a budget of $1.8 million, the film is a collaboration between Malaysia’s Janji Pictures Production and Italy’s Volos Films Italia. Wong Kew Soon (Chong’s “Pavane for an Infant,” Tokyo 2024) serves as a producer on the project. Fellow producer Stefano Centini, whose credits include “Viet and Nam” (Cannes 2024) and “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” (Berlin 2023), was drawn to the project after years of admiring Chong’s films.
“I followed Chong’s work since ‘The Story of the Southern Islet,’ and have met him and producer Kew Soon a long time ago in Taipei. As my newly built Italian company was looking for co-production with Asia, I was thrilled to know of their new collaboration with Fan Bingbing, an actress with an immense talent, playing here a role that reminds of her performance in ‘I am not Madame Bovary,” Centini says. “I felt this was the right project and that Italian collaborators could be helpful in shaping the narrative of this film for a more international audience. Amongst them, I would like to mention editing consultant Walter Fasano (“Call Me by Your Name”), who generously gave precious feedback during the editing.”
With his Italian company Volos Films Italia, Centini is participating in the HAF market as part of the delegation from the mission organized by Italy’s DGCA-MiC with the support of Cinecittà and Istituto Luce.
Chong based “Mother Bhumi” on real accounts from his childhood.
“Growing up on the border between Malaysia and Thailand, I often heard stories of land disputes in my hometown. These conflicts stemmed, in part, from the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, when the Siamese dynasty ceded Malay land to British colonists,” Chong says. “Even after Malaya gained independence, unresolved land rights issues persisted — escalating to the point where some turned to witchcraft to settle their grievances. Amid these stories, one figure always stood out: a Siamese-Chinese mixed-race female farmer. By day, she helped villagers navigate land disputes; by night, she transformed into a witch, using her powers to heal women. Then, one day, she vanished — leaving behind only rumors of her fate.”
Field research from 2003 to 2006 uncovered multiple, conflicting accounts of her fate, deepening Chong’s fascination. “Some claimed she had angered local officials and fled to the Thai border. Others whispered that she had been wounded in a battle with an Indonesian shaman and disappeared into the mountains. Each telling added a new layer of mystery, deepening my fascination. Her story — woven with border politics, mysticism and feminism — compelled me to bring it to life on screen,” Chong says.
The title “Mother Bhumi” draws from the Sanskrit word for “land” and also references Malaysia’s Indigenous communities.
On working with Fan, Chong says, “When I first met her, I asked, ‘If I were to ruin your beautiful face in the film, would you be willing?’ To my surprise, Fan Bingbing accepted without hesitation. From preparation to filming, she endured the scorching sun in the rice fields, where temperatures averaged 35° celsius. Despite the harsh conditions, she remained dedicated, cooperative, and deeply attuned to her character. Her sensitivity and adaptability brought remarkable depth to her performance.”
