Category: Nirris Nagendrarajah
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All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “The Pleasure Principal: A Conversation on Wregas Bhanuteja’s Levitating” by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Wregas Bhanuteja Wregas Bhanuteja (director), Levitating, 2026. 119 min. INTRODUCTION Nirris Nagendrarajah Levitating, the third feature by the Indonesian filmmaker…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “The Pleasure Principal: A Conversation on Wregas Bhanuteja’s 𝐿𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔” by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Wregas Bhanuteja](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-2.png?w=680)
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All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “Josef Kubota Wladyka’s Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!: A Bird, a Body, and the Illusion of Depth” by Nirris Nagendrarajah Josef Kubota Wladyka (director), Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, 2026. 122 min. In Ha-Chan, Shake…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “Josef Kubota Wladyka’s 𝐻𝑎-𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛, 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑦!: A Bird, a Body, and the Illusion of Depth” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image.png?w=1000)
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All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana: Beneath the Manicured Surface” by Nirris Nagendrarajah Click HERE to read all entries in Cha on Filipiñana. Rafael Manuel (director), Filipiñana, 2026. 100 min. A successful short does not necessarily yield a successful feature. One…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana: Beneath the Manicured Surface” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/image-1.png?w=1000)
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All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “Wounded Souls in Stephanie Ahn’s Bedford Park” by Nirris Nagendrarajah Stephanie Ahn (director), Bedford Park, 2025. 121 min. I did not like Celine Song’s Past Lives (2023), not for lack of desire to…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “Wounded Souls in Stephanie Ahn’s 𝐵𝑒𝑑𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/bedford-park.jpg?w=230)
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[SUNDANCE 2026] “Three Perspectives on a Haunting: Vera Miao’s 𝑅𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah
All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “Three Perspectives on a Haunting: Vera Miao’s Rock Springs” by Nirris Nagendrarajah Vera Miao (director), Rock Springs, 2026. 97 min. Gracie, played by Aria Kim One leaves Rock Springs with two impressions: that…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “Three Perspectives on a Haunting: Vera Miao’s 𝑅𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rock-springs-cha-nirris.jpg?w=1024)
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All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “Visions of a Future Self: Kogonada’s zi” by Nirris Nagendrarajah Kogonada (director), zi, 2025. 199 min. In cinema, whenever I see a shot of the back of a character’s head, I think of…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “Visions of a Future Self: Kogonada’s 𝑧𝑖” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/zi-film-cha-nirris.png?w=702)
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All entries on SUNDANCE 2026 [SUNDANCE 2026] “‘I Want to Make Films for Teenagers Forever’: A Conversation on BURN” by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Makoto Nagahisa Makoto Nagashia (director), BURN, 2025. 103 min. INTRODUCTION Nirris Nagendrarajah W-w-why do people do what…
![[SUNDANCE 2026] “‘I Want to Make Films for Teenagers Forever’: A Conversation on 𝐵𝑢𝑟𝑛” by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Makoto Nagahisa](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/burn.jpg?w=936)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 𝑆𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡” by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Kunsang Kyirong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/kunsang-kyirong-1.png?w=934)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “You Are My Friend: On Ocean Vuong’s The Emperor of Gladness” by Nirris Nagendrarajah Ocean Vuong, The Emperor of Gladness, Penguin, 2025. 416 pgs. For Ocean Vuong, the critically acclaimed…
![[REVIEW] “You Are My Friend: On Ocean Vuong’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ocean-vuong-the-emperor-of-gladness.jpg?w=992)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑛 𝑅𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑂𝑛 𝑈𝑠 𝐴𝑙𝑙” by Nirris Nagendrarajah, Cai Shangjun & Han Nianjin](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cai-shangjuns-the-sun-rises-on-us-all-2025.-131-min.jpg?w=1000)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on Kalainithan Kalaichelvan’s 𝐾𝑎𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑦” by Nirris Nagendrarajah & Kalainithan Kalaichelvan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/kalainithan-kalaichelvan-on-karupy-1.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “The Paper Boy: On Park Chan-wook’s 𝑁𝑜 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/https-tiff.netfilmsno-other-choice.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “Saigon Does Not Believe In Tears: On Leon Le’s 𝐾𝑦 𝑁𝑎𝑚 𝐼𝑛𝑛” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/leon-les-ky-nam-inn.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “The Need for Change: On Kei Ishikawa’s 𝐴 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2a-pale-view-of-hills-e981a0e38184e5b1b1e381aae381bfe381aee58589-kei-ishikawa.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “The Angel of Death: On Jafar Panahi’s 𝐼𝑡 𝑊𝑎𝑠 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑛 𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/jafar-panahi-director-it-was-just-an-accident-1.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “Of Eros & Of Dust: On Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s 𝐴 𝑈𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝐺ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/a-useful-ghost-film-poster--1.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
![[TIFF 2025] “Light At The End of the Labyrinth: On Genki Kawamura’s 𝐸𝑥𝑖𝑡 8” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/exit-8.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2025 ▞ 10. The Archivist’s Film: A Conversation on Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset▞ 9. She Was Screaming into Silence: A Conversation on Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises On Us All▞ 8. You Don’t Belong to Anyone: A Conversation on…
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📁 RETURN TO FIRST IMPRESSIONS📁 RETURN TO CHA REVIEW OF BOOKS AND FILMS Sho Miyake (director), Two Seasons, Two Strangers (Tabi to Hibi), 2025. 89 min. A woman sits at her desk, a pencil poised above a blank page. She has been…
![[REVIEW] “Winter of The Soul: On Sho Miyake’s 𝑇𝑤𝑜 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑇𝑤𝑜 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/still2_two-seasons-two-strangers_locarno.jpg?w=1024)
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Doua Moua and Nirris Nagendrarajah Editor’s note: In this interview, Nirris Nagendrarajah talks to screenwriter and actor Doua Moua; they discuss The Harvest, a tender exploration of a Hmong family navigating illness, identity, and intergenerational conflict. Inspired by his own experiences…
![[EXCLUSIVE] “Love Is Time: A Conversation on 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡” by NIRRIS NAGENDRARAJAH and Doua Moua”](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-harvest_carley-soo.png?w=1024)
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📁 RETURN TO FIRST IMPRESSIONS📁 RETURN TO CHA REVIEW OF BOOKS AND FILMS Katarina Zhu (director), Bunnylovr, 2025. 86 min. A webcam turns on: a white fishnet stocking appears up close, resembling a fence—one that invites the possibility of being climbed, crossed,…
![[REVIEW] “The Good Girl: On Katarina Zhu’s 𝐵𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑦𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑟” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/bunnylovr.jpg?w=1024)
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📁 RETURN TO FIRST IMPRESSIONS📁 RETURN TO CHA REVIEW OF BOOKS AND FILMS Rohan Parashuram Kanawade (director), Sabar Bonda, 2025. 112 min. A death has already occurred—one that, over the ten days in which Sabar Bonda unfolds, will be mourned by a…
![[REVIEW] “An Unmarried Man: On Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s 𝑆𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝐵𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/sabar-bonda.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦𝑒𝑛𝑑” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/happyend_cha.png?w=1024)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s 𝐵𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/by-the-stream.png?w=1024)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s 𝑉𝑖𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁𝑎𝑚” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/viet-and-nam.jpg?w=753)
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[TIFF 2024] “The Master and Her Muse: On Jia Zhang-ke’s 𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah
TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “The Master and Her Muse: On Jia Zhang-ke’s 𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/caught-by-the-tides.jpg?w=560)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “Self-Studies: On Sook-Yin Lee’s 𝑃𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐼𝑡” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/paying-for-it-sook-yin-lee.jpg?w=1024)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “The Inheritance: On 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐵𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙 and 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑠” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/tiff2024-asian-cha.png?w=1024)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “A World of Pain: On Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 𝐶𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cloud.webp?w=1000)
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TIFF 2024 ▞ Introduction▞ 8. Band of Outsiders: On Neo Sora’s Happyend▞ 7. The Soul of an Artist: On Hong Sang-soo’s By The Stream▞ 6. The Two Maidens: On Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam▞ 5. The Master and Her…
![[TIFF 2024] “𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑏𝑦𝑚𝑒: On Lou Ye’s 𝐴𝑛 𝑈𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑚” by Nirris Nagendrarajah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/an-unfinished-film_poster.jpg?w=705)
Cha 