Best Actress / Singapore International Film Festival 2002
 Best Film Fipresci Award / Oslo South Film Festival 2002
 

 Synopsis
 Daya challenges therigid boundaries set by her impassioned single-mother Berlian, a traditional herbal medicine vendor, as she attempts to claim her own identity. It is an agonizing struggle colored with the unspoken language of the surrounding desert. Escaping into the secret labyrinths of her imaginary world, the lonely Daya often dreams of seeing her long lost father, destitute and desperate, finally returns. Agus draws Daya closer to him by telling her stories of his travels.

Program Note
 Daya, who has just started becoming a woman, has no idea how to live in this isolated desert. Her mother Berlian, who is a midwife and also manages a street stall, keeps her eye on her ‘baby’ Daya to protect her from this dirty world. Daya always misses her father Agus, a free-spirited soul who had left for the city, but he also fails to show her the way to go. Neither her wandering dancer aunt nor her friend can give her the answer to how she should live. Eventually, Daya leaves all of them behind, having been unable to find any answers. The original Indonesian title Pasir Berbisik means ‘Sea of Sand’ or ‘Whispering Sand’ and stands for the dark sea of sand where this film takes place. The dark sea of sand is the other main character of this film along with Daya. The background (the dark sea of sand), the middle ground (the approaching character), and the foreground (the still character) within the camera angle are all lonely but are in beautiful harmony with each other. The still camera and minimal dialog are placed to evoke a strong connection between the minds of the characters and the landscape. Daya waits for rain in a sand storm in the dim and dark sea of sand. (SIM Hye-kyong)