Oscar Malaysia’s Hope is a mature urban story Film News

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – With a suitcase full of goods and his head full of dreams, Aman drives a damaged car inherited from his deceased father from his homeland inland Malaysian forest to the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Being a colorblind person, the young Malay does not have a proper driver’s license, but his car is his only asset, so he is sidelined by working illegally as a driver in his new foreign environment. Guided by Bella, an ethnic Chinese escort who knows how to drive at night, Aman soon learns that dreams in the big city are as fragile as crystal, and that innocence and sin are two sides of the same coin.

Shot in black and white to reflect the double-toned palette of Aman’s vision, Muzzamer Rahman’s debut film Prebet Sapu (2020), known internationally as Hail Driver, seems to be a difficult candidate to portray the Islamist and high-profile Southeastern Southeast. the nation at next year’s Oscars.

“I knew in writing the script for Prebet Sapu that it could be censored because of its content on the electoral and political climate. [in Kuala Lumpur]”Muzzamer told Al Jazeera, reflecting on the changes that have taken place since he resigned as Prime Minister for 22 years after he became Prime Minister in 2003.

“I grew up in the vineyard, so I taught myself to be ready. However, this is essential to the background of history in my film, and it is related to human relations in Kuala Lumpur. “

Despite Muzzamer’s concerns at the Italian Far East Film Festival, the Toronto Reel International Film Festival and the Spanish Asian Film Festival, Prebet Sapu was chosen in early November as the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (FINAS). Oscar nomination for Best International Film.

“We had two competitive presentations this year, the other was Tan Chui Mui’s Barbarian Invasion (2021), and we had to use a strict voting system to choose the winner,” said Ku Mohamad Haris, director of FINAS board Ku Sulong. .

“Ultimately, the panel decided on Prebet Sapu because it’s a little closer to real life and because it reflects what we Malaysians really are.”

‘Be a little bolder’

The decision reflects FINAS ‘latest commitment to supporting young filmmakers in any genre and to nominating films for the Oscars each year. Last year’s Oscar presentation was a jungle horror atmosphere, Roh (2020), the debut film by Malaysian director Emir Ezwan.

Prebet Sapu is the seventh Oscar-nominated film since Malaysia.

Instead of following the local logic of producing monolingual films that only appeal to one of the three different segments of the multi-country audience – Malaysians, Chinese and Tamil Indians – Haris told Al Jazeera that FINAS wants whatever language and genre it wants. supports the protection of more critical emerging films in the Southeast Asian film industry that truly embody the complex reality of Malaysia and can advance the country’s position.

“I’m trying to push the categories of documentaries and short films for next year’s Oscars, and I encourage young directors to push the boundaries so that they can be a little bolder,” Haris said.

For now, Prebet Sapu, which will be released in Malaysian cinemas on Thursday, December 16th, is definitely fulfilling.

The film features cameos by well-known actors Amerul Affendi (Aman), Lim Mei Fen (Bella) and Malaysian actors Bront Palarae and Sharifah Amani, and cameo for his role as Orked in the acclaimed films Sepet (2005) and Gubra (2005) and Gubra (2005). 2006) by Yasmin Ahmad, centered on a mixed love story between a Malaysian girl and a Chinese teenager in Malaysia. The film depicts the modernity of Kuala Lumpur, its close ethnic relations and its endless thirst for development without a fist.

Using the multilingual dialogues to best capture the authenticity of the Malaysian ethnic puzzle in Malaysian, English and Chinese Mandarin, Prebet Sapu is proud to be the shadow of the iconic New Wave Malaysian film of the 2000s, Yasmin Ahmad, Amir Muhammad, Tan filmmakers Chui Mui, Woo Ming Jin, James Lee and Ho Yuhang They filmed Malaysian social and ethnic struggles as they watched them.

“If most of us thought we were socio-political critique, or social realism or cinematic truth, I have to admit it was because we didn’t have a budget for art direction, so we used real locations, and asked the actors to bring their own. his wardrobe, ”Tan told Al Jazeera, citing the role of these films in bringing independent filmmakers to the attention of filmmakers around the world, including Venice and Cannes.

But they also remained marginalized and banned at home, still excluded from the strict censorship that controls the performing arts and popular culture, in a country where about 61% of the population is Muslim.

Knocking around the bush

Despite the advances, the Malaysian film industry remains a difficult space to navigate.

Since 1936, the Malaysian Film Censorship Board, an organization separate from FINAS, has banned more than 50 local and international films for being violent or containing scenes that could offend Muslim sensibilities.

Namewee rapper, singer and director, seen on the set of his film BABI, has traveled to Taiwan to promote his creative freedoms [Courtesy of Namewee]

In 2010, guidelines for film censorship were loosened, sometimes allowing films with violence and blasphemy to be screened without cuts. But filmmakers still need to pay close attention to sensitive issues.

“Race and religion are two elephants in a room where we don’t always see or question them,” said director Lau Kek Huat, along with other Chinese filmmakers from Malaysia. Namewee and Chong Ket Aun says he had to go to Taiwan to speak clearly about Malaysia in his hometown.

“There used to be a code called VHSC (violence, fear, sex, counterculture) that characterized our film censorship,” said Amir Muhammad, a pulp-fiction publisher and director of controversial and banned documentaries like The Big Durian. 2003), The Last Communist (2006) and Malaysian Gods (2009).

Since 2018, Amir Kuala is the managing director of Kuman Pictures-based horror and gender-based Kuman Pictures, who produced the previous Roh Malaysia Oscar delivery, and is now on Netflix.

“[Censorship] it has evolved over the years, but it depends on the whim of the government and its priorities, ”Amir said. “Growing up consistently, films that oppose Malaysian-Muslim hegemony or the mainstream political order will have problems.”

Amir added that with the rise of digital streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney Hotstar, Malaysian filmmakers now have unfiltered spaces to expand their work.

Streaming platforms do not have the same level of control over movie theaters and are partly protected by the government’s “uncensored” commitment to bringing Malaysia into the digital age when it introduced the Multimedia Super Corridor in 1995.

“The [censorship] “The level of tolerance has also improved dramatically,” Haris told Al Jazeera at FINAS.

Returning waves

Although not an Oscar nomination, Tan Chui Mui’s Barbarian Invasion (2020) won the coveted Golden Cup Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June, giving weight to his return to more authentic and daring Malaysian cinema.

A personal tribute to motherhood and a love letter to the resilience of independent cinema, Tan’s third film features many former protagonists of the Malaysian New Wave, including the director himself, actor Pete Teo and director James Lee.

Yu Zhou and Moon Lee (played by director Tan Chui Mui) travel to the eastern coastal town of Kemaman in a frame of the Barbarian Invasion. [Courtesy of Da Huang Pictures]

It was also produced by director Woo Ming Jin, who screened his The Tiger Factory (2010) at the Cannes Film Festival.

After experimenting with more common Malay productions like KL Zombi (2013) – PG was rated and released in 30 cuts and several silent lines of dialogue – Woo will return to his roots with his upcoming Turtle Stone (2021). , a revenge thriller about stateless people who earn a living by stealing turtle eggs.

“For me, it’s just a matter of returning to the joy of making films without the commercial pressures and restrictions that are often found in more ordinary cinema, which has to deal with censorship, gender restrictions and capturing the widest possible audience,” he told Wook Al. Jazeera.

Compared to neighboring nations, such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, Woo believes that films are more diverse in terms of narrative and themes, while Malaysia does not yet have the freedom to discuss more touching topics such as politics and religion.

Being a “Jaguh kampung” (village hero) is not a problem, but becoming a world leader is another story, ”he said.

Haris of FINAS, who directed and produced commercials, TV movies and series before becoming a member of FINAS, admits that more daring filmmaking attracts attention.

But it does not appear that Malaysia is ready to relinquish control.

Behind Prebet Sapur [Courtesy of Muzzamer Rahman]

Instead, it requires filmmakers to shoot two versions of their films to ensure they can get approval to be screened in Malaysian cinemas.

“Use a bolder version for the international market,” Haris said. “Guk [still] we need cutting-edge issues because they are the films that are receiving the most international attention. ”

For the time being, Muzzamer thanked Prebet Sapu for gaining full screening approval, without any cuts, “and yet for receiving a film rating that can be seen by my target audience,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Censorship should not repress the filmmaker’s voice and determine what is right and wrong from the point of view of the film director.”