How can be we so proud of a movie yet we can’t stand by it in its full form?
When Amanda Nell Eu’s film ‘Tiger Stripes’ was selected for the 2023 Cannes International Critique Week, Malaysia was so proud. Then, the film won the main prize at the event (which is a very prestigious and well-respected award in the industry), and the country was even more excited.
The National Film Development Corporation (Finas) sang praises about the film and congratulated the filmmakers.
The local film industry went crazy!
Actually, to be honest, only one segment of the film industry went crazy. I didn’t see people like Syamsul Yusof or Ahmad Idham paying any tributes to the film. But I guess that’s okay. To each his own on how they want to react towards any particular film.
I could write an opinion piece on the different factions of the film industry, but that will be for another day.
Severely censored
Obviously, after winning such a prestigious award, Finas then very quickly announced that ‘Tiger Stripes’ would be Malaysia’s nomination for the Oscars.
Communications and Digital Ministry Fahmi Fadzil said that after consideration from a panel that consists of local film professionals, they feel that the film has all the criteria for it to represent the country.
He also hoped that this would brand Malaysian films internationally. What a nice acknowledgement for the film and the filmmakers.
Then, on Thursday, the film was finally released on local screens for all of Malaysia to watch. Many people were excited to go and watch the film because of the hype that surrounded the film after Cannes.
So was I and I immediately bought tickets to watch and support the film. But then hours before showtime I read a statement made by Nell Eu with regard to the film's release.
In a nutshell, she mentions that the version of the film released is not a version that she stands by. The film was censored severely by the Censorship Board and given a limited release. She says that scenes that were censored were integral to the whole story because they represent ‘the joy of being a young girl in Malaysia’.
Nell Eu stresses that this is not the film that they made and not the film that won the grand prize at Cannes last May.
Curbing development
Here lies the problem of why the Malaysian film industry will always find it hard to develop into something we all can be proud of.
Censorship is something that happens almost everywhere around the world. Even in the most liberal and open countries, censorship exists (personally, I feel that there should not be any systematic censorship at all, but that will be written for another day).
However, censorship must also take into consideration the rationale and progress of the industry.
The censorship of art in Malaysia needs to really be examined if we have genuine intentions of developing it further. We cannot claim to want to have an international standard film industry if all the policies that we have in place are curbing it from developing into one.
We acknowledge the award given to ‘Tiger Stripes’ from the international community, but then we censor the very version of the film that won that award for Malaysians to consume. What is the reasoning?
We are in a situation if you ask me, and immediate action needs to happen to rectify it. The Censorship Board does not come under the purview of the Communications and Digital Ministry. It falls under the Home Ministry.
But I’m sure that the cabinet works together, hence, it is very possible for both ministers to discuss the issue and come to a solution. In fact, I think that this issue is big enough for the entire cabinet to discuss.
Proper rules and regulations
I remember a couple of decades ago in 2003 when the film ‘Bruce Almighty’, a comedy starring Jim Carrey, was called to be banned in Malaysia. The film was about a frustrated man who was then given powers by God to run the world.
Then-prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi intervened and said that the film was a harmless comedy and no harm would come to screening it in the country. So maybe Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should intervene with regard to ‘Tiger Stripes’.
However, the better solution is for the government to change and improve our policies so that a better system can be implemented.
It is better to have proper and logical rules and regulations that can be implemented efficiently rather than relying on an individual to overrule things. That can be problematic in itself because authority in a democracy cannot be left in an individual’s hand to wield solely.
I hope this issue with ‘Tiger Stripes’ can be resolved. It takes a lot of work to make a film and I can understand the frustration of not having one's vision properly displayed. However, this issue is bigger than just one film and one filmmaker. It is about the progress of a whole industry of a country.
Come on. This really isn’t a new issue. It has been a problem for decades. Let’s do something about it.
Majulah filem untuk negara. - Mkini
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Watch his review of ‘Tiger Stripes’ here.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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