Los Angeles, Feb 5 (IANS) Hollywood filmmaker Sean Baker and actress Michelle Yeoh are joining forces for a new project, which will world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival later this month.

The film titled ‘Sandiwara’ marks the return of the ‘Anora’ director to his iPhone-shooting roots. The film is touted to be an “immersive cinematic experience”, reports ‘Variety’.

The film is being made in collaboration with the London-based fashion house Self-Portrait. It’s the first film from Self-Portrait’s Residency program, which launched last year with the aim of inviting creatives “from all disciplines into the brand to design using their own distinctive style”, the release states.

The initiative provides Self-Portrait’s “infrastructure, platforms, resources, teams and distribution network to spotlight and promote external creatives, offering them the freedom to dream and create”.

As per ‘Variety’, the film stars Yeoh as five different characters, and is set in a Malaysian night market.

A synopsis for the film states that it “moves beyond fashion and into the world of cinema and storytelling to capture the heart of Malaysian culture. Each character tells their own unique story and represents a facet of Malaysian culture rarely explored”.

The film gets its title from the Malay word for “drama, theatrical performance or play” and was shot in Penang.

The Berlin Film Festival will host a special screening of ‘Sandiwara’ on February 13, followed by a conversation between the director and actor. Baker will also be on hand at the Berlinale’s opening ceremony on February 12 to present Yeoh with this year’s Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement. The Berlin Film Festival runs from February 12 to February 22, 2026.

–IANS

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