Oasis of Now (2023)

A mother and a daughter secretly meet once every few weeks on a secluded staircase in an old apartment building. The mother, an undocumented Vietnamese in Malaysia, believes that her daughter's best future lies in living with a Malay family, separated from her. Despite living in the same neighborhood, they pass each other as strangers every day. The mother takes on various odd jobs in the neighborhood to make a living and seeks refuge in the home of an unfamiliar elderly person to avoid the reach of immigration crackdowns. The old building and the characters within it bring a palpable weight to the narrative. However, amidst scenes that seem like mundane everyday life, significant secrets and decisions that can alter the course of life are concealed.