Over the years, we have worked on many short films by Malaysian film-makers that can't quite make it.
Looking at all the rubbish content, you should understand why they can't make it far... really.
So, we kind of gave up short film because there really is no money and don't quite worth the time and effort when all you can see, was someone staring blank at you with environment sound in the background that they never fail to want you to "polish" it so the crickets can sound better.
It rhyme with the blank stare, you see? You have to think like an artist to appreciate it.
Can you understand why we give up short film now?
Anyway, after being sort of out of touch with short Film-making for like... a while. Last year, I had the privilege to attend a meet the producer event in Annexe, in conjuction with the EU Film fest.
This particular event featured this company in the UK that help short film people to make short film by like funding them as long as you can convince them that you are good.
Like a business proposal.
And all 10 short films that was shown that evening, all are the high quality story and high quality content with high quality low budget.
Nice.
Clean.
Simple.
Straight to the point.
Story well told.
I am not being racist and I know they do make some crappy short film every now and then. They are all over Youtube, anyways.
Whites are not always better.
And because of that particular event, I kind of thought that Annexe might have some brain to show some high quality (maybe not as good, but you know... QUALITY!!!!!!!) production with high quality content. Never mind if you are doing it for free.
How liberating is that?
It was so liberating my friends and I actually can't wait to go for the Herstory Film Project: Love, Sex, Desire> short film screening event to watch 5 short films made by WOMEN! Just to show some support.
We thought this is a great way for Malaysian to understand their rights and to learn how to practise it!
That's what we called "Campaigning", right?
It doesn't take long to piss me off.
The band comprising of 4 young girls dressing like boys playing acoustic guitar singing male bashing songs with "I'm not your French fries, Fuck your mother French fries..."
Ermmm... I was about to like you, but you just insulted my mother... and girls, why are you dressing like boys?
You do know that we female species have the right to parade in mini-skirt and still look good. What you need is to condemn rapist, encourage sex education, and reduce baby dumping activities!
The first film was "Spirited". Which was suppose to be about man using supernatural power to lure female into falling in love with him.
But the entire film was nothing more than an MTV vs travel documentary mixing with some artistic moving shots.
One word: DISTURBING
The second film brought a bit of hope because it was about a young girl fell in love with a young boy and she ran away from an abusive father and then apparently the boyfriend got arrested and then she gotten herself into prostitution and became a drug addict because being a massage girl don't make enough money to pay rent.
And the title was... Oh dear... I don't remember.
Well... probably the only one that kind of meet the theme but darn sad.
The 3rd was a DISASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Visual: Camera fixed on one end of the drain, where there was a traffic light at the crossroad, it was raining.
Sound: Traffic noise and rain.
And for the entire 20 minutes, we were staring at the moving traffic, being harass by the traffic noise and rain hitting the obviously there was an umbrealla somewhere above, trying to read the subtitles (supposed to be the story) that was so freaking small that you have to use binoculars to watch it.
No voice.
And then at the last 5 minutes or so, the male bashing song started looping.
Basically all men are useless and female are the better sex!
And the moral of the story is????
What an insult to the audience and fellow film-makers out there.
I heard someone said to me, "They should publish an article of this, and not showing it on the screen!"
Film number 4.
Narrated by Bernice Chauly.
Interesting animation work followed by recollection of memories of her parents and some art work scattering around the screen to compliment those old photos...
Nice... nice... very nice...
And again! It should be a book, not film. But then again, nice try.
Last one!
A typical late Yasmin Ahmad formula. Only there was no race other than our fellow Muslim friends.
Young lovers. Stubborn enough not to reveal their feelings towards each others.
Boy lives in a mansion because the father is rich.
Girl is poor with sick mother at home.
Boy's father likes the girl.
Proposal done by religious someone with something like "if you marry so and so your mother's medical bill will be sorted out."
The girl naively thought it was the boy so she agreed.
And she eventually found out on her wedding day that she was marrying the old man.
There!
Lovers.
Broken up.
Choices?
I don't know.
A tribute to late Yasmin Ahmad.
May she rest in peace...
I was pissed off.
I'm sure a lot of us was very disspointed with what we saw last night.
Malaysians are not educated enough to understand our rights!
Our film-makers have no idea what we are campaigning about.
They do not really understand their responsibilities as a film maker.
They did not only insulted their audience, they also insulted their sponsor.
The German must be scratching his head wondering why did he agree to fund this project.
I would love very much to support local film scene. But...
We still have a long way to go to make sense.
Honestly, to practise women's rights is not a hard thing to do. All you need to do is to hold your head up and tell those who discriminate you that you will not take this nonsense and walk away and be successful!
Why should you put yourself so low at their level and scream "fuck you mother French fries"?
Come on! Have some dignity. Why such anger? You are better than that, girls.
And stop all the male bashing, you need to know that sometimes, your worse enemy could be your girlfriend.
You are special. You really, really are.
Stop discriminating yourself.
Enjoy being a woman.
Happy Merdeka.
No comments:
Post a Comment