When does love let go? This is a parent's angst, and it grips the mother in this exquisite film from Indonesia. Ahn's daughter Daya, a joyful young woman who loves to sing, is coming of age. Mother-love presses Ahn to keep Daya out of harm's way. The child, or anak as Ahn calls her daughter, yearns for some independence but finds her mother watching her every move. Daya's dearest fantasy is the return of her absent father to complete the family. When their small sea village is threatened by vigilantes, the two escape over sand dunes and flee into the wilderness, finding an abandoned shack where others have taken refuge. Fierce sand storms, strange men, a new friend, and whispering sands mark Daya's new life. When Ahn’s sister, a professional dancer, visits and teaches Daya some moves, Ahn tightens her grip and her daughter begins to resist. Then Daya's father surprises the two with his return. He strikes a deal with a merchant who desires his daughter, rocking Daya's idolization of her father and cracking her innocence. Seeing this, Ahn's hand is forced. Awards/Festivals: Winner Best Cinematography, Best Sound; Special Jury Award, Asia Pacific Film Festival 2001; Winner NETPAC Special Mention, Brisbane International Film Festival 2003; Winner Lotus Award for Best Actress Deauville Asian Film Festival 2002; Winner FIPRESCI Prize Oslo Films from the South Festival 2002; Winner Tiger Award Rotterdam International Film Festival 2002; Asian Trade Winds Special Jury Prize, Seattle International Film Festival 2002; Winner Silver Screen Award for Best Actress, Nominated Silver Screen Award for Best Feature Film, Singapore International Film Festival; 2002,Sydney Film Festival; Karlovy Vary International Film Festival; Melbourne International Film Festival; Cinemanila Film Festival; Indonesian Film Festival; Hawaii International Film Festival; Thessaloniki International Film Festival; Bangkok International Film Festival;Locarno Film Festival.