21st February 2026 – (Penang) Michelle Yeoh threads through Penang’s storied streets in Sandiwara, a ten‑minute short film commissioned by Self‑Portrait founder Han Chong and directed by Academy Award winner Sean Baker with long‑time collaborator Samantha Quan. Conceived under Self‑Portrait’s Residency programme, the project doubles as a tribute to Chong’s hometown and a showcase for the label’s design language.
Yeoh portrays five distinct women, each realised through a separate Self‑Portrait look – a candy‑pink‑wigged influencer, a bicycle‑riding waitress in punk cuffs and flared denim, a steely food critic in leather and severe frames, a diligent chef in a headscarf and powder‑blue silk, and Lady Orchid, a stage star who closes the film in a white sequinned gown with a fringed shawl. Shot on location over two days, Yeoh improvised the narrative beats for each role before the characters ultimately converge at George Town’s Red Garden food court.
Chong said the styling served character rather than spectacle, with Yeoh closely involved in fittings to ensure each silhouette felt truthful. Penang’s “quiet theatricality”—its layered history, heritage architecture and faded grandeur—became a sixth character, he added, noting that Sandiwara translates as “drama”.
For Chong, collaborating with fellow Malaysian Yeoh grounded the film in shared culture and memory, lending the work an intimacy beyond a fashion commission. Baker, fresh from awards success with Anora and promoting Left‑Handed Girl, described the project as a creative reset and a chance to honour Malaysian culture with care and responsibility. He and Quan spent 10 days immersing themselves in Penang’s food scene before filming, selecting historic George Town and the expansive Red Garden as key locations.
Sandiwara premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and received its U.S. debut on 19th February at a private Los Angeles screening attended by Yeoh, Chong and Baker, alongside guests including Kate Moss, Alessandra Ambrosio, Barbara Palvin, Highdee Kuan and Dree Hemingway. Produced by Samantha Quan and Alex Coco—both regular Baker collaborators—the film reflects Residency’s aim to rethink how fashion and cinema intersect, offering artists the resources to “do their own thing” while celebrating place, community and craft.