The Seen and Unseen

The press conference for this film takes place on Monday, September 11 at 1pm.

This magical film from Indonesian director Kamila Andini immerses itself in the dreams of children. But The Seen and Unseen is remarkable for another reason: it sees its special universe entirely through the eyes of twin siblings, a girl and a boy. It empathizes with them, moving effortlessly into their shared realm.

In a manner similar to Thai master Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Andini creates an atmospheric and unsettlingly strange world that is visual, not verbal. She delights in the unexpected, surprising and disarming us as she follows 10-year-olds Tantra and Tantri. When Tantra is hospitalized after falling seriously ill, his sister Tantri and their parents keep a bedside vigil as he gradually loses his senses. But this physical attendance gives way to a dream world once Tantri is separated from her twin. Desperately missing him, she begins to re-engage with Tantra in her mind. What follows is transformative and powerful, as Andini gives vivid expression to these visions, articulated through dance and costume yet plucked from what Tantri sees around her in her ordinary waking life.

Perfectly balanced and poised, filled with the sensuality of the Indonesian countryside, The Seen and Unseen enchants by taking us, in the most wondrous of ways, directly into the headspace of childhood.