2026 Features

Whisperings of the Moon

Nisay, an actress haunted by loss, returns to Cambodia and to Thida — a love once forbidden. Bound by the weight of family and society, their passion survives only in memory and performance, until it must fade away.

DIRECTOR:

Yuqing Lai

PRODUCER:

Jatla Siddartha, Lily Yang, Esther Li

WRITER:

Yuqing Lai, Jatla Siddartha, Zoey Cao

CAST:

Sopheanith Thong, Deka Nine, Monita Keo

RELEASE YEAR:

2025, Language: Khmer, English

Hong Kong, China, Cambodia, India, and Indonesia, 85 mins

Synopsis

Following the death of her father, theatre actress Nisay returns to Phnom Penh and the life she left behind. There, she reconnects with Thida, her former lover, and a relationship once forced apart begins to stir again. Within the creative freedom of their artistic community, Nisay and Thida find a space where their love can flourish, particularly through theatre and performance. But beyond the stage, the realities of family, duty and social expectation remain impossible to ignore. Moving between the present and memories of their shared past, Whisperings of the Moon is a tender and contemplative portrait of two women navigating love, loss and longing, and of a romance that can be expressed most freely in the world they create together.

Director’s bio

Lai Yuqing, she/they, originally from Fujian, was born in Tianjin, China. She studied abroad in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto. Working as a director, actor, and musician, she participated in the production of multiple short and feature films. Her directorial feature debut, Whisperings of the Moon, had the world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival 2025. This lesbian love story explores themes of love and separation. Her work has also been selected for the Toronto International Film Festival, BFI Flare, Tokyo Talents Shortlist and as a Sundance Ignite finalist, among others. Lai Yuqing died at the end of 2025.

Premiere Status

Welsh Premiere

Logline

Mae Nisay, actores sy’n cael ei phoeni gan golled, yn dychwelyd i Cambodia ac i Thida – cariad a waharddwyd gynt. Wedi’u rhwymo gan bwysau teulu a chymdeithas, dim ond mewn atgof a pherfformiad y mae eu hangerdd yn goroesi, nes iddo ddiflannu.

Crynodeb

Yn dilyn marwolaeth ei thad, mae’r actores theatr Nisay yn dychwelyd i Phnom Penh a’r bywyd a adawodd ar ei hôl. Yno, mae hi’n ailgysylltu â Thida, ei chyn-gariad, ac mae perthynas a orfodwyd ar wahân unwaith yn dechrau ailddechrau. O fewn rhyddid creadigol eu cymuned artistig, mae Nisay a Thida yn dod o hyd i le lle gall eu cariad ffynnu, yn enwedig trwy theatr a pherfformiad. Ond y tu hwnt i’r llwyfan, mae realiti teulu, dyletswydd a disgwyliad cymdeithasol yn parhau i fod yn amhosibl i’w anwybyddu. Gan symud rhwng y presennol ac atgofion eu gorffennol a rennir, mae Whisperings of the Moon yn bortread tyner a myfyriol o ddwy fenyw yn llywio cariad, colled a hiraeth, ac o ramant y gellir ei fynegi fwyaf rhydd yn y byd maen nhw’n ei greu gyda’i gilydd.

Bywgraffiad y Cyfarwyddwr

Ganwyd Lai Yuqing, hi/nhw, yn wreiddiol o Fujian, yn Tianjin, Tsieina. Astudiodd dramor yn Efrog Newydd, Los Angeles, a Toronto. Gan weithio fel cyfarwyddwr, actores, a cherddor, cymerodd ran mewn cynhyrchu nifer o ffilmiau byrion a ffilmiau nodwedd. Cafodd ei ffilm nodwedd gyntaf fel cyfarwyddwr, Whisperings of the Moon, ei dangos am y tro cyntaf yn y byd yng Ngŵyl Ffilm Ryngwladol Busan 2025. Mae’r stori garu lesbiaidd hon yn archwilio themâu cariad a gwahanu. Mae ei gwaith hefyd wedi’i ddewis ar gyfer Gŵyl Ffilm Ryngwladol Toronto, BFI Flare, Rhestr Fer Talentau Tokyo ac fel rownd derfynol Sundance Ignite, ymhlith eraill. Bu farw Lai Yuqing ddiwedd 2025.

Statws Première

Première Cymru

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