What if a woman who never wants to be a mother finds herself pregnant in a world where abortion is illegal and deeply frowned upon? What if the only way out is through death, by turning into a spiritual being?

The initial idea for Fruit (Buah) was to explore an alternative origin story of how a woman could be transformed into a Pontianak, an infamous ghost well-known in Singapore and Malaysia. There are variations to this folktale, but the reason she comes into being is often the same: a woman who dies during childbirth transforms into a vengeful spirit. During the day, she resides in a banana tree. At night, she becomes a beautiful woman who seduces men and devours their organs, and/or goes after pregnant women for their unborn child. But what if the Pontianak isn’t vindictive at all, but a liberator of other women who don’t want to become mothers?

And no, I’ve never encountered a Pontianak (but I have friends who have), nor had an abortion (but I have friends who have). But I did become obsessed with bananas and banana plants after reading about them (though that’s another story). In Fruit, bananas and their connotations tie the characters and story together.

Fruit is purposely set some time ago in an unspecified place in Southeast Asia where abortion is illegal and deeply frowned upon. This scenario isn’t far off from reality in many places. That is the horrifying part.

Imbued with a tiny dose of the supernatural and a cheeky attitude, Fruit pays respect to women who died fighting for their right to live.​