FILM REVIEW - 3

15 Malaysia is a 15 short film with sensitive social or political themes that characterized Malaysia such as corruption, freedom of expression, racism, Islamphobia and pedophilia. These 15 short films were created by 15 young filmmakers and Pete Teo. Other than that, the casting politicians and some artists in some of the film to made it fresh and different.  

The 1^st short film is Duit Kecil was created by Johan John at 11 September 2009. This film is reflecting the situation of 2007 to 2009. It is because Tun Mahathir took expansionary fiscal and monetary policy against recession; thus exacerbating the government bonds, corporate bonds and debt. Moreover, the price of crude oil tumbled; oil palm and rubber price are decreased to cause inflation in that period. For example, the Malay guy asks the prostitute to give back him the balance in order to take cab to back home. During exchange money, they have a short discussion to complaint the money rate, and the prices of everything are increased but the salary is remained. As we know that it is a period of inflation, but some of the people are trying to argue the price in certain thing instead of argue price with the thing that they are very desire on it.

2^nd film is Lollipop. It was created by Nam Ron at 15 September 2009.  In this film, it is talking about how they use the paedophile to reflect from the political side and it has happen in our country. What has happen in our society is actually reflect from the situation that they have met before. Lollipop film is not talking about revenge of what he had met when he was young but if we not experience something bad from our perfect lives, when we getting older we would repeat the thing that left in our lives and we will live it again but in different way. Just like the paedophile do the same thing toward the little girl. When the country becomes more prosperous, the more things that you will lost. It reflects the current social phenomenon, as the parent busy on their work to cover their living expenses, and they have to choose to let their children become independent.

3^rd short film is Meter. It was created by Benji Lim and Bahir Yeusuff on 9 September 2009. The casting will be Khairy Jamaluddin, Jason Lo, Namewee and Amber Chia. Nowadays, although everyone think they are supporting Malaysian, at the end they are supporting foreigner more than our people. For example, we are always saying that Malaysia brand is good quality in society but they decide to buy foreign brand instead of Malaysia brand. The director used football fans to reflect this problem in this film. It is because most of the Malaysia football fans are supporting foreign football team instead of Malaysia team.

Another social problem is about English language problem. In previous time, our government decided change the English language to Malay for all the textbooks. It was because the statistic shows that most of the people did not understand Bahasa English and the learning level dramatically decrease so they decide to change the language of learning for students. For example, the taxi driver asks everyone must learn how to speak proper English in our society because English is very useful in the world. But when the passenger speaks English to him and the taxi driver scold him back said you are Malay, so you must speak Bahasa Melayu. This represents that a typical Malaysian will always do “talk in one way but do different.”

Besides that, in this film also shows that party hopping also is an important issue in Malaysia. For example, the taxi driver said that if that particular party give people some benefits, then people will support that party. We can see from a scene in the video, the passenger from that taxi jump to another taxi because it’s a sexy and beautiful female taxi driver. Its means that where or who have the benefits that can fulfil your needs and you will try to become one of the members of them.

The last part of the film shows about the keris. When the Chinese guy on the taxi, the taxi driver is not communicate with him because Chinese is not have a good relationship with Malay during the operasi lalang, and how we know about it?  We can see from the keris which hang on the back mirror. Other than that, when the Chinese guy tell the taxi driver that the keris is beautiful, the taxi driver give him and ask him to give his friends as well. Maybe he wants to use the keris to remind the people about the operasi lalang in that time. Keris is refers to the saying of our current PM during the operasi lalang which means that “memandikan keris dengan darah Cina Malaysia”.

How do the filmmakers differ from the previous generation of filmmakers?

For this short film, the filmmakers used fifth voice to present the content different from the previous one. In post 1980 filmmakers concerned with film as commentaries to socio-political issues. Moreover, there have film censorship law in Malaysia regulates the production and exhibition of local and foreign films. The government can censor or ban films which infringing any religious, cultural and moral values of the Malaysia society, prior to public viewing.

 Is censorship still relevant today?

Yes. It is because to avoid racial conflict in Malaysia such as 13 May 1969. So, the government will censor or ban some of the film which waver the relationship between different racial. Some of the film maybe include includes content, but the filmmakers will try to use other ways to present the situation instead of directly. Not only this, government might censor the part which infringing any cultural, religious and moral values instead of censor or ban the film.