Malaysian film-maker, Amanda Nell Eu makes her Cannes debut with this horror film. To screen at Cannes’s Critics’ Week section, this film follows 12-year-old Zaffan as she goes through puberty. Throughout the film, we watch as Zaffan learns to deal with her ever changing body.

Working together with Eu is Singapore sound designer Lim Ting Li, and character design and special makeup supervisor June Goh. Eu’s masterpiece will also make history as the first Malaysian female director to debut her film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Pham Thien An’s debut feature follows the story of Thien (Le Phong Vu) whose sister-in-law is killed in a motorcycle accident. Following the event, he is tasked to return her body to their countryside hometown while taking care of Dao, his nephew who survived the crash. Thien’s journey back to rural Vietnam also prompted his search for his older brother, who disappeared years ago. The single-take short film was produced by Vietnam’s JK Film and Singapore-based independent film company, Potocol.

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Monster (also known as Kaibutsu) is a Japanese mystery drama film that follows a Saori (Sakura Andō) and her son Minato (Soya Kurokawa). When Minato’s behaviour changes—suddenly insisting that he has become a monster—Saori confronts his teacher in school to find out what’s going on. There, an intense battle between Saori and the school begins, as the truth slowly emerges. Monster is set to compete for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the film festival.

This dark noir by South Korean director Kim Chang-hoon follows Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) as he attempts to escape his hometown—one filled with violence. As he escapes, he meets Chi-geon (Song Joong-ji), a thug in the town. The duo form a bond and explore the world of organised crime. Kim’s film has been selected to screen in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section.

In competition for the Palme d’Or, Wang Bing’s latest documentary follows the lives of young Chinese workers in Zhili, China. The city sees a range of workers between 17 to 20 years old leaving their villages to make a living. There, employees share dorms and eat along their corridors while working tirelessly to support their family and their dreams. 

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