Malaysian filmmaker ready to challenge viewers<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore<\/p>\n
The seven-minute film is called Checkpoint, a story about what it
\nfeels like to travel in a post-Sept. 11 world, where you receive
\nextra attention just because your passport contains stamps from
\ncountries considered to have a connection with terrorism.<\/p>\n
The film is drawn from an actual experience independent
\nMalaysian director Amir Muhammad had at the Woodlands train
\nterminal that connects Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
Shot entirely without actors and provided with English
\nsubtitles instead of narration, the film is included in Amir's
\ncollection of short films called 6horts, released last year.<\/p>\n
Checkpoint comes across as a witty essay on film, which not
\nonly presents the post-Osama situation but also describes the
\nrelationship between the two often bickering countries, where, as
\nAmir puts it, there is a gap in the economy and IQs.<\/p>\n
He underlined the issue of intellectuality.<\/p>\n
\"The IQ of Malaysian audiences has really deteriorated. When I
\nscreened the film, some people in the audiences were busy
\nguessing the location where it was shot. They were saying, 'It's
\nPenang, isn't it? Or Kedah, Kedah right?,'\" he said, shaking his
\nhead.<\/p>\n
\"They (audiences) have to be given too much. Everything must
\nbe explained, must be shared. If not, they don't get it. They are
\nbecoming more impatient and less curious.<\/p>\n
\"But I guess it's a worldwide phenomenon, not just in
\nMalaysia. I might sound like an old man but people are not keen
\non reading anymore. They watch TV all the time. They don't even
\nwant to watch a TV show if the pace is slow,\" said the 30-year-
\nold director.<\/p>\n
Given the situation, Amir said he had to be satisfied just
\nmaking a film that he is pleased with.<\/p>\n
\"The audience is important, but only those who are clever.
\nIt's OK if the rest of them don't like the film.\"<\/p>\n
Amir may sound a bit self-conscious, with all his talk of
\nintellectuality. And though, speaking on the sidelines of a
\ndigital film conference at the recent Asian Film Market &
\nConference here, he hopes the short film will \"show the
\nintellectual side of me\", Amir is not an intellectual snob.<\/p>\n
In fact, he is nice and sincere and is prone to laughter. He
\nlavishly praised Eliana Eliana, a 2002 film by Indonesian
\ndirector Riri Riza, saying the film was very impressive and \"one
\nof the best movies I've ever seen\".<\/p>\n
At another time he said he really wanted to direct music
\nvideos, \"but nobody is offering\" -- which was followed by
\nlaughter.<\/p>\n
In Malaysia, Amir is known as a writer (newspaper columns,
\nsociopolitical commentary on the Net, TV scripts, plays, books)
\nwith a witty, humorous and, of course, intellectual style. A
\ncontributor to the Malaysian print media since the age of 14, he
\nearned the nickname the King of Irony from one publication.<\/p>\n
As a filmmaker, he became a leader of the digital filmmaking
\nmovement with 2000's Lips to Lips, Malaysia's first digital-video
\nfeature, which he wrote himself.<\/p>\n
The film was groundbreaking in many senses: its budget (about
\nUS$60,000, which is \"cheap but still a lot\"), format,
\ndistribution (never released commercially) and theme (a sardonic
\nexploration of the relationship between sex and food).<\/p>\n
\"Lips to Lips is meant to be fun, funky, colorful and kinky.
\nIt was made with not a cent of public money, nor with the
\nintention of ever submitting it to our famously censorious
\nCensorship Board. \"It is independent in all the important senses
\nof the word,\" said Amir about the comedy, which has traveled to
\nover a dozen film festivals worldwide, including in Hawaii,
\nFukuoka and France.<\/p>\n
Among the scenes in the film is one of a female actor reading
\naloud from a traditional Malay cookbook as if aroused.<\/p>\n
Many young Malaysian filmmakers are now going digital not only
\nto save money, but also for the freedom of being able to bypass
\nthe censorship rules, which prohibit Malaysian films from dealing
\nwith sex, race, politics and religion.<\/p>\n
A mixture of Islamic fundamentalism and authoritarianism even
\nmoves the Censorship Board to enforce an unusual variety of
\nsocial taboos, from revealing chest hair to showing the underside
\nof a car (it can lead to reckless driving).<\/p>\n
This censorship, according to Amir, contributes to the
\nworsening Malaysian film scene, which he said is like rubbish.<\/p>\n
\"It has always been the same over the past two years. There
\nare only around 10 films per year and they are similar: starring
\nsingers whose albums have become hits, and the stories are based
\non the singers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
There have been no more films like Layar Lara (Screen of
\nSorrow), which was released five years ago. Layar was a smart
\nparody that really took on the Malaysian film scene, with its
\nsinger-stars and strict censorship.<\/p>\n
\"Filmmakers make a film like crackers: fast making and fast
\nselling, but it doesn't last for long. They also live in their
\nown world, don't bother to learn from other people's films,\" said
\nAmir, who has a law degree but veered into filmmaking and took a
\nshort course in New York.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian film scene, he said, is much better technically
\nand content-wise.<\/p>\n
\"You have Pasir Berbisik (Whispering Sand), which is
\ncinematographically very impressive. And then there is Eliana
\nEliana and (director) Garin Nugroho's movies. I like all of
\nGarin's movies. Malaysian filmmakers don't dare to make story-
\ndriven films. They are always based on stars, songs, action ...
\njust like Bollywood.\"<\/p>\n
The government does not offer much support either, he said.
\nBesides the strict censorship, the government prefers to support
\nforeign filmmakers who shoot their films in Malaysia, like Anna
\nand The King and several Bollywood movies.<\/p>\n
\"Because the budgets (of foreign films) are big, unlike local
\nfilms, the government benefits as well. The government chooses to
\nbe indifferent to its own children.\"<\/p>\n
As a result, most of the work of young Malaysian filmmakers
\ncan only be seen by limited audiences or at foreign film
\nfestivals.<\/p>\n
After Lips to Lips, Amir went on to make 6horts last year,
\nwhich received critical praise and prizes at the Singapore Film
\nFestival, the Cinemanila International Film Festival and the Thai
\nShort Film and Video Festival, among others.<\/p>\n
Besides Checkpoint the other five shorts that comprise
\n6horts are Lost, Friday, Mona, Kamunting
\nand Pangyau. The shorts are jokingly called the Amir Muhammad
\nFilm Festival, through which you see Malaysia through Amir's
\neyes. All of the shorts are shot without actors, and three of
\nthem come with subtitles.<\/p>\n
\"I don't like my own voice,\" Amir said about the subtitles
\nwith a laugh.<\/p>\n
\"It's also a strategy to force people to read. We force them
\nto read with their own voice, making it their own story. Because
\nas we read, it's as if we are telling the story ourselves.\"<\/p>\n
Amir is currently working on his second feature, a hybrid of
\nfiction and documentary called The Big Durian, which is slated to
\npremiere in April 2003. The film is about a surprising event in
\nKuala Lumpur back in 1987.<\/p>\n
\"It's sort of like Puisi Tak Terkuburkan (Unburied Poem), but
\nnot that serious,\" Amir said, referring to Garin Nugroho's film
\nabout an Acehnese poet.<\/p>\n
Do Malaysian filmmakers still see Indonesian filmmakers as
\nreference points?<\/p>\n
\"Not anymore because many Indonesian films are not screened in
\nMalaysia. Only those tacky horror flicks, through video.
\nReference points come only through personal acquaintance,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
For the time being, with such obstacles, Amir is still opting
\nfor digital video format, for the low budget and also the
\nartistic freedom.<\/p>\n
\"The important thing is creating a new audience. Hopefully the
\nDV format can also become a stepping-stone for young filmmakers.
\nMaybe many (filmmakers) will stay (with DV) as we don't have to
\ngive in to the wishes of producers and investors; we don't want
\nto be cuffed.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysian-filmmaker-ready-to-challenge-viewers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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