Ivan Marković's 'Promised Spaces' debuts at the Cannes Film Festival's ACID sidebar, exploring luxury homes and inequality in Cambodia through a hybrid documentary-fiction lens.
ACID Cannes Premiere
'Promised Spaces' is scheduled to premiere on May 16 in the ACID section, an independent sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival which promotes the theatrical distribution of independent films. The film will have an official screening on May 18.
This marks Marković’s first fiction feature directorial effort, following his work on 'From Tomorrow on, I Will'. The film is a co-production between France, Germany, Serbia, and Cambodia, and it examines themes of urban speculation and the construction of luxury homes in Cambodia.
Casting and Production
The film features actors Vollak Kong, Chea Loch, Vita Vong, Lyer Von, Theara Or, and Kanitha Tith. Marković not only directed but also wrote and edited the film. Luka Barajević contributed sound design, and the production was a collaborative effort involving Bocalupo Films, Fiskultura Films, Big Time Production, and Anti-Archive. Luminalia is handling international sales.
Plot and Themes
'Promised Spaces' tells the story of Sokun, who leaves his crowded construction dormitory to join other workers in an unfinished high-rise. The film contrasts Sokun's experience with Seda's, a resident feeling trapped in a luxury gated complex. The ACID website describes the setting as a ghost town, with gated communities and unfinished buildings forming a dynamic space inhabited by workers.
“It shows us how urban landscapes are also political landscapes where class relations come in concrete form,” said Pauline Ginot, ACID’s general delegate.
Marković explained his inspiration, stating, “'Promised Spaces' explores how architecture embodies social segregation, isolating people across class divides. Merging fiction with real locations and non-actors, the film follows characters from different social strata — construction workers and residents of luxurious gated communities — to show Cambodia’s rapidly expanding urban landscapes.”
Exclusive Trailer Release
The Hollywood Reporter has premiered an exclusive trailer for 'Promised Spaces', offering a glimpse into the film's cinematic visuals and atmosphere. The trailer highlights the transformation of a former fishing village into a modern construction site, showcasing Marković’s focus on the changing urban landscape of Cambodia.
Watch the trailer for 'Promised Spaces' here.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2026-cannes-acid-film-trailer-promised-spaces-exclusive-1236592184/
