DOCS BY THE SEA 2025  •  VIRTUAL LAB : 24 JULY–04 AUGUST  •  IN-PERSON LAB : 03–06 SEPTEMBER  •  FORUM : 07–10 SEPTEMBER

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Untitled Durian Film

From its morning harvest in Malaysia to border crossing for nightly consumption in Singapore, the human and non-human lives accompanying the durian paint a portrait of labor, wealth and mobility.

Legend has it that the durian fruit grew spikes to protect itself from Orang Mawas—the Malaysian bigfoot. Its magical origins now relegated to the margins, the durian fruit has transformed from an object of desire in local folklore, to finding itself at the heart of a billion-dollar cross-border trade between Malaysia and neighboring Singapore. UNTITLED DURIAN FILM charts the durian’s movement from being hand picked at dawn on Malaysian farms, to being transported daily across the Johor–Singapore Causeway–a 1 kilometer causeway linking the two countries and one of the busiest border crossings in the world—to being consumed as a delicacy by different social strata in Singapore by dusk. Adopting the perspective of an omnipotent mythical force that pulses through the region and with a narrative voice that draws upon fables from the region, we will witness the farmers who grow and harvest the fruit, the drivers who transport them across the border, and the consumers who enjoy this delicacy at lavish durian parties or at roadside stalls. Their interactions and web of relationships paint a portrait of the differences in labor, wealth, and mobility against the backdrop of two nation states.

Project Team Member(s)

Sanjna Selva

Producer

Ash Goh Hua

Director Editor

Project Info

Project Status

Development

Duration

13 Minutes

Country of Production

Est. Completion

2026

Production Company