TOKYO, Oct 28 — Under the lights of Hulic Hall Tokyo, Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat Aun took a bow before an audience of nearly 1,000, as his latest work, Mother Bhumi, made its world premiere at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) last night.

For Chong, it was more than just a screening — it was a homecoming of the heart. His film, which blends history, folklore and spirituality, draws deeply from the soil of Kedah, his birthplace near the Malaysian-Thai border.