The film is a quiet conversation with memory, past, culture and a life left behind, that employs food and a traditional cuisine as a bridge to achieve the same. The documentary introduces the viewer to the lived reality of Kyo Pang, the owner of a kopitiam or a traditional Indonesian coffee shop in New York, and how her relationship with food has come to shape and influence her lived reality. Using Pang's narrative, the film also manages to raise significant points about immigration, a person's relationship, and perhaps even a longing, for their roots, and the desire to not only preserve, but also share them with those around. By way of its calm engagement, which deliberately steers clear of loud noises or gimmicky tools, the film further invokes the Baba-Nyonya culture of Pang's childhood, allowing a glimpse into it, while also straddling the culinary history of her past. As ideas of family and tradition are tied together to weave the narrative, Kopitiam comes across as a sincere endeavour to tell an authentic story about a highly personal and intimate experience. It is precisely these very qualities which endow it with a universal tone.

Kopitiam | Short Film Nominee

On the night of a very crucial performance, one that could define his future as a musician, Jai finds himself with a broken instrument. As a frantic scamper begins to somehow procure a tabla, with only a few hours to the performance, he receives the most unusual phone call. 

A man is willing to provide the instrument, as long as Jai can deliver a plate of butter chicken within the hour to the given address. Alongside this bizarre, but completely hilarious and entertaining route, is Jai’s own internal performance anxiety, manifesting itself in a shiver of the hand. 

The narrative allows a successful portrayal of all of these elements, irrespective of a few rough edges in the overall end result, presenting characters that are endearing, and notably fitting as hapless performers, or intimidating antagonists. The deep potential with regard to storytelling and narrative-building, alongside some skilled performances, is unmissable, paving the path for more engagement with similar stories and characters in the future.

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