North American Premiere
Fruit Gathering tells a story of love under poverty in contemporary Myanmar. San Kyi (Nandar Myat Aung) works in a textile factory, enduring putdowns from co-workers and pressure to marry from her mother. When new employee Theint (Nandar Myint Lwin) does San Kyi a big favour, the two become fast friends — with hints of desire from the start. But as their romance blossoms, San Kyi is smitten, Theint more needy. Is their love real, or does Theint have a hidden agenda?
Slender, delicate, and soft-spoken, Aung portrays San Kyi’s fearfulness and longing superbly. San Kyi is a woman cursed with desires that her conservative community shuns — and not only her sexuality. As the mysterious Theint, Lwin gives a skillfully reticent performance. Writer-director Aung Phyoe imbues them both with a sad dignity, and his direction is discreetly but insistently sensual.
Grand Prix: Crystal Globe Competition, Karlovy Vary 2026
Community Partner
Nandar Myat Aung, Nandar Myint Lwin, Thida Soe Khant, Tin Tin Ei, Min Nyo
Myanmar/Czech Republic/France
2026
In Burmese with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Thu Thu Shein, Thaiddhi
Screenwriter
Aung Phyoe
Cinematography
Thaiddhi
Editor
Emily Swe
Art Director
Mg Moore Phyu
Aung Phyoe
Aung Phyoe is a writer, director, and film editor based in Yangon, Myanmar, who holds a diploma in editing from Whistling Woods International. His short film Cobalt Blue (2019) premiered in the Pardi di Domani section of the Locarno International Film Festival, and Evening Clouds (2022) had its premiere in the Singapore International Film Festival. From 2018 to 2025, Phyoe worked with 3-ACT, a collective he co-founded, contributing to the publication of a cinema magazine and organizing workshops and film programs. Alongside his film work, he translates literature and writes short stories in Burmese.
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
Possible Love
Lee Chang-dong’s first film since Burning (2018) is a sardonic, slow-burning satire about two couples: a documentary filmmaker married to a wealthy businessman, and a working-class family struggling to make ends meet after the husband has been laid off.
The Exorcist
Thirteen-year-old Linda Blair is Regan, the movie star daughter who is possessed by a demon, and whose body becomes a spiritual battleground. It builds slowly, carefully, into a maelstrom of sheer unadulterated horror.
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
An American Werewolf in London
Two American students get into a spot of bother with the wildlife in rural England. Then they introduce the virus to the big city... John Landis's goofy horror comedy is a very good night out. So long as it's not a full moon...