MFW11 BEST AUDIO VISUAL EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
DURIAN, DURIAN
[d][w] Nelson Yeo
Singapore / 2025 / Experimental / 06:43
While awaiting their deaths, two solitary souls find an unexpected connection beneath the shelter of a durian tree.
[ig] @nelson.y_frames
Director’s Statement
Durian, Durian is an absurdist tale about two people meeting at an intersection of life, shaped by random occurrences. This film continues the themes I previously explored in my feature film, Dreaming & Dying, and serves as a companion piece that deepens those explorations. Shot over half a day during durian season in Singapore, Durian, Durian was created using two rolls of Super 8 film with a minimal crew. As my first film work to be shot on film, I wanted to explore the impermanence of life, rendered permanent by celluloid onto screen.
Writer-Director
Nelson Yeo is a Singaporean filmmaker. His inaugural feature film, Dreaming & Dying, made an impactful debut at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2023, where it not only premiered but also earned the prestigious Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present (Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente) and Swatch First Feature Award. The success of Dreaming & Dying extended beyond Locarno, captivating audiences at various international film festivals and clinching numerous additional awards. Nelson also participated in esteemed film labs such as Berlinale Talents Tokyo in 2014, BiFan Fantastic Film School in 2015 and Locarno Filmmakers Academy in 2018. In addition to his feature film success, Nelson’s short films have been selected at international film festivals such as Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Cairo International Film Festival.
Director’s Filmography
- Durian, Durian (Short Film, 2025, Writer-Director)
- Dreaming & Dying (Feature Film, 2023, Writer-Director)
- Bagasi (Short Film, 2023, Writer-Director)
- Plastic Sonata (Short Film, 2022, Writer-Director)
- Dreaming (Short Film, 2021, Writer-Director)
- Here is Not There (Short Film, 2019, Writer-Director)
- Mary, Mary, So Contrary (Experimental Short, 2019, Filmmaker)
- Five Trees (Experimental Short, 2017, Writer-Director)