18th New York Asian Film Festival Presents: The Pool

A nap on a rubber raft in a twenty foot deep swimming pool turns into a nightmare for a young couple after an unfortunate series of events puts their lives in danger. Filled with dark humor, nail biting thrills and seething with emotional turbulence, writer-director Ping Lumpraploeng’s film turns a seemingly mundane situation into an existential obstacle course as the protagonists face the greatest challenge of their lives. With a surprising element of suspense and metaphoric resonance, The Pool brings a fresh new style of thriller to Thailand.

Dat Tran’s scarves and accessories are made of silk cultivated in remote villages of Vietnam by small communities of silk farmers and then woven on antique looms and hand-dyed to achieve captivating colors. He will be on site at the Asia Society’s AsiaStore for this event.

The 18th New York Asian Film Festival Presents: Ma

Two tragic stories of motherhood converge in a phantasmagorically macabre tale of loss, sacrifice and evil. After his mother dies suddenly, Samuel goes into a mysterious cave that claims to grant wishes and asks for his mother’s life back. The cave wants something in exchange. Meanwhile, a childhood friend of Samuel’s mother returns to town pregnant, reeling from her fiancé’s suicide. She has what the cave wants so Samuel enlists his little brother and sister in a sinister plan to take it at any cost. Director Kenneth Lim Dagatan’s chilling feature debut proves he was born to make horror films.