The House of Janus, marks director Ong Keng Sen’s return to cinema since 1996’s blockbuster Army Daze. This deeply personal and visually striking “love letter” offers an intimate glimpse into Ong’s life in Europe with his nonagenarian partner, Adriaan van de Staay. The film meditates on enduring love, ageing and impermanence through a compelling hybrid of cinema verité, documentary, and operatic fantasy set within their Italian hillside home in Bettona. Shifting perspectives between the house itself and its creator, the film subtly explores Adriaan’s coming to terms with the inevitable abandonment of all he has built and cherished. The opera Dido and Aeneas, the first opera the partners listened to together in this house 16 years ago and a recurring summer tradition, serves as a poignant leitmotif. Its themes of loss and farewell echoing Adriaan’s own quiet reckonings that he will become like Aeneas who has to leave his life behind when destiny beckons. Evoking the two-faced Roman god Janus, the film reflects on the transience of life, the residue of personal actions, and the elusive nature of permanence as Adriaan enters his golden years, facing the inevitable departure from his beloved House of Janus with grace.

The screening of The House of Janus on 17 July launches a fundraiser for The AGEncy Fund. Funds raised from this initiative will be ring-fenced to support creators aged 60 and above with resources to develop their work, culminating in a future AGEncy festival. It celebrates the endurance and agency of mature artists, ensuring their invaluable contributions are neither forgotten nor abandoned. Details to come.