Tales of Global South brings together two films from Malaysia and Indonesia to explore how identity, belonging, migration and inequality shape everyday life in cities of the Global South.

Date: 7 November 2026
Venue: ELTE University Library (1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 6.)

Participants are welcome to attend either session or the full programme.

First session: Abang Adik (Malaysia, 2023)

14:00–17:00

Abang Adik follows two undocumented brothers struggling to build a life on the margins of Malaysian society. While the older brother, who is deaf, seeks stability amid the hardships of everyday life, his younger sibling longs to escape their circumstances. A tragic incident tests their fragile bond, bringing questions of legal identity, social exclusion and belonging into focus.

The screening will be followed by a discussion led by Dr. Katalin Orbán, habilitated Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at ELTE. Her research explores visual culture, memory and trauma, and the relationship between narrative, ethics and technological change. She has also taught in the interdisciplinary honours programme at the National University of Singapore and the Writing Program at Harvard University.

Second session: In the Absence of the Sun (Indonesia, 2014)

17:00–20:00

Set over a single night in Jakarta, In the Absence of the Sun follows three women at different crossroads in their lives as they search for love, connection and closure. Through their encounters, the film explores intimacy, social inequalities and the experience of finding one’s place in a changing city.

The screening will be followed by a discussion led by Ma. Sjenica C. Sevilla, a PhD candidate in International Studies at ELTE, whose work focuses on development.

Important Information

This event is free of charge but registration is required.