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The Awake
The Awake
The Awake

The Awake

Unclassified 18+
Dir. Hsiao-Ting Hsieh, Hsiao-Wei Hsieh / 2025 / 27 mins / Taiwan / No Dialogue / Experimental / Australian Premiere
Program Strand/s: MIFF XR

Be immersed in a dance-driven VR journey into the inner world of ALS patients, whose frozen bodies conceal minds and souls burning with resilience. 

Vision becomes the primary anchor to reality for patients in the later stages of motor neurone disease – also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Twin interdisciplinary choreographers Hsieh Hsiao-Ting and Hsieh Hsiao-Wei invite you, too, to watch without moving. Poetic, abstract dance evokes ALS patients’ rich, heightened consciousness as everyday objects dissolve under the weight of illness: a motionless wheelchair; drifting curtains; a dining table for two; a fish in its bowl. Winner of the Humanity Award in the 2026 XR Competition at NewImages Festival in Paris, this meditative work entwines the sensory and virtual to express something hidden but intensely human.

Tickets

Metro sessions
Tue 11 Aug
Tue 11 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Tue 11 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug
Wed 12 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Wed 12 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug
Thu 13 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Thu 13 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug
Fri 14 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Fri 14 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug
Sat 15 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sat 15 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug
Sun 16 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Sun 16 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug
Mon 17 Aug 10:00am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 10:45am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 11:30am ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 12:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 1:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 1:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 2:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 3:15pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 4:00pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 4:45pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session
Mon 17 Aug 5:30pm ACMI Swinburne Studio
Access: Wheelchair Accessible
Past Session
The Awake (27 m)
Past Session

For information about the accessible services being offered at MIFF, please visit miff.com.au/access. If you require any access service, such as wheelchair/step-free access, for any MIFF session, please call 03 8660 4888 or email boxoffice@miff.com.au to book your ticket.

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