Haunted by somber visions, forensics photographer Adam retreats from the world, staying home and taking photos of his neighbors until he is dragged into another investigation by his best friend, the detective Man, who asks his help to solve a series of macabre ritual murders. At the same time, Adam’s seemingly innocuous pastime soon turns darker when he spies Iva, a young woman from Borneo. Smitten by her, he is soon entangled in her web of mystery and murder. As Adam is dragged further into Iva’s tribal world and Man delves deeper into his investigation, they discover the city’s mystical underground of shamans and supernatural beings.
Cinematography
Stunning wet-noir lighting and tribal body art compositions.
Direction
Dain Said's confident genre-blending of police procedural and folklore.
Costume
Iva's transformation through traditional and modern Borneo aesthetics.
Director
Dain Said
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film draws heavily from the Mah Meri and other Orang Asli tribes of Malaysia, using actual tribal photography practices as both plot device and commentary on colonial image-making.
Dain Said conceived the film as a response to Malaysian cinema's avoidance of indigenous stories, framing the supernatural thriller around literal and metaphorical 'flaying'—of identity, history, and skin.
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