Sam Worthington, David Duchovny and Ke-Xi Wu’s ‘The Exiles’ Draws on Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness,’ Director Midi Z Reveals (EXCLUSIVE)

Taiwan-based Myanmar filmmaker Midi Z has revealed that his next feature, “The Exiles,” starring Sam Worthington, David Duchovny and Ke-Xi Wu, draws on Joseph Conrad’s classic novel “Heart of Darkness,” reimagined through a contemporary, original story. Speaking with Variety during the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), where he served as a jury member 15 years after his own directorial debut, Midi Z reflects on the unlikely path that led him into filmmaking, the lasting influence of Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao-hsien and how “The Exiles” continues a career-long exploration of identity and displacement. “I never went to film school,” Midi Z says. “I was simply someone who loved cinema. I learned from online reviews, books and whatever resources I could find.” Popular on Variety One of the defining moments of his career came while he was studying in Taiwan. Selected for the inaugural Golden Horse Film Academy in 2009, Midi Z caught the attention of Hou Hsiao-hsien, who personally mentored him, selected his screenplay and even accompanied him on location scouts in New Taipei City for what would become his early films about Myanmar. The experience extended beyond filmmaking. After shooting, Hou would gather other filmmakers and actors, including French screen legend Isabelle Huppert, who had also been invited to the program for karaoke. “Hou told me, ‘You should go back and make films about your homeland,'” Midi Z recalls. That advice became the foundation of his filmmaking over the past decade and a half. “Southeast Asian cinema is different from Chinese-language cinema,” he says. “It exists on the margins, and it is deeply personal.” Inspired by Hou’s humanistic approach, Midi Z has continued making films across different countries while returning repeatedly to questions of migration, cultural identity and belonging. His newest feature, “The Exiles,” extends that thematic journey, inspired in part by a real criminal case in Southeast Asia. While Francis Ford Coppola famously adapted Conrad’s novel into “Apocalypse Now,” Midi Z says his interpretation moves in a different direction and tells an original fictional story. The U.S.-Taiwan co-production is filmed entirely in Taiwan, with roughly 90% of the dialogue in English. The film has entered early post-production, and Midi Z hopes to release it in 2027. “I see completely different aesthetics and perspectives across the 10 competition films,” he says of his role on this year’s MIFFest jury. “Every film has its own voice and its own identity.” As the number of film festivals across Asia continues to grow, Midi Z believes originality has become more important than ever. “Cinema is half art and half business,” he adds. “The biggest challenge isn’t learning how to make films. It’s how to remain original while trends and mainstream tastes constantly pull filmmakers in another direction.” Rather than chasing commercial formulas, he argues, filmmakers should embrace their individuality. “You don’t need to become mainstream,” he says. “You need to protect your own voice.” Looking ahead, Midi Z hopes to collaborate more closely with filmmakers across Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Thailand. Malaysia shares historical and cultural ties through a common British colonial legacy, while Thailand’s geographic proximity to Myanmar creates natural opportunities for cross-border storytelling. Having lived and worked across multiple countries throughout his career, Midi Z no longer defines home as a fixed place. “Everyone has to find a way to survive, both physically and spiritually,” he says. “The fluidity of identity and cultural belonging gives me the freedom to tell stories. It also gives me endless possibilities as a filmmaker.”