A Hipster's Choice

Today theSun published an interview I have done with Wan Nor Azriq where he picks ten books that every Malaysian Hipster should read 

Headline : A Hipster's Choice 
By Bissme S

THE WORD ‘hipster’ is one of the more recent additions to the modern vocabulary, but even though most people can readily identify what a hipster looks like, it’s difficult to pinpoint what being a hipster actually means. 
As author Wan Nor Azriq, 29, says: “If you can define a hipster, that means you not a hipster. Hipsters do not like labels and definitions.” 
However, this award-winning author who penned DUBLIN, Boneka Rusia Guido, Dompet Kulit Buaya, 86 and Soneta Roda Basikal among others, agrees to help give a better idea of who a hipster is. 
“Basically, a hipster fits the subculture that consists mainly of youngsters in their 20s and 30s living in urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Johor Baru,” he says. 
“Hipsters are very eco-friendly. They prefer walking or riding a bicycle to driving a car because it’s healthier. They listen to obscure independent bands. They hang out at fancy and eccentric cafes. “They read underground poetry, and above all else, they value authenticity, creativity, and freedom. 
“Whatever is seen as mainstream and fashionable, they go against it. They strive for individualism.” 
Here are Wan Nor’s list of 10 books that he says hipsters should read:
 
1) Aku Tak Peduli   (Melayu Minimalis) 

This book describes the hipster culture as well as the other subcultures that exist in Kuala Lumpur. The writer also talks about the Malaysian independent music scene. The way he writes is like he is having a conversation with you.










2)Awek Chuck Taylor   (Nami Cob Nobbler) 

This novel defined a generation of Malaysians the way J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye did for his generation in the United States. This book will definitely strike a chord with girls who dream of becoming a sophisticated and intelligent woman like Mira in the novel. The hero is not your typical hero. One can even say he is kind of a born loser. He also talks about his relationship with two girls who happen to be sisters.


3) Mat Som  (Lat) 

This graphic novel centres on about a youth from Tanjung Maim who settles in Kuala Lumpur. He hangs out with the ‘in’ crowd because he wants to be seen as intelligent and sophisticated. He gets interested in the literary scenes. 
You will [recognise] some well-known personalites such as poet Usman Awang and writer Latiff Mohidin in the comic sketches.”


4)Stereo Genmai  (Ridhwan Saidi) 

This novel is perfect for hardcore hipsters. The story never moves in a liner fashion. It is very fragmented, and centres on a man looking for his girlfriend who goes missing after watching a movie. The story very clearly depicts the power of cinemas and films. 









5)Tiga Titik   (Fandy Taher) 

The book is about a boy who runs away from home and wants to travel around the world on his bicycle. I think, in the heart of every true hipster, there is a strong desire to run away, not just from  his birthplace, but also from mainstream culture.  After you have finished reading Fandy’s inspiring novel, I guarantee you will pick up your bike and begin your journey into nature.

6) Catatan Latiff Mohidin   (Latiff Mohidin) 

Just like a true hipster, this book escapes any rigorous label you can put on it. [It’s] part journal, part aphorism, part poetry, and part literary criticism. He talks about the various topics under the sun – from life to literature. 




7)Tapai   (Hishamuddin Rais) 

I choose this book because I think Malaysian hipsters are unique in their strong appetite for local and exotic food. So Tapai is the best food guide book you will find on the market as it combines Hishamuddin’s sharp witty observations and colourful descriptions of the many dishes that feed our Malaysian taste buds. 







8) Kentang    (Saharil Hasrin Sanin) 

A blend of graphic humour and witty social critique, Saharil really knows how to entertain his readers while making them feel smart. A light read for hipsters who are too busy saving the world.




9)Kopi Lejen   (Various authors) 

Coffee is an important beverage for hipsters. This anthology feature three various short stories where the writers cleverly relate their personal experiences with coffee. 










10) Sajak-Sajak Saleh   (Salleh Ben Joned) 

Indeed, Malaysian poetry doesn’t get any more vulgar and rebellious than the poems of Salleh Ben Joned. This book will appeal to the anarchist hipsters and angry young poets out there.

A Colorless Love

To celebrate Hari Raya, theSun feature a love story that goes beyond race and religion. 

Headline: Love is the  Answer 
By Bissme S

For couple Najua Nasir, 34, and Muhammad Paul Ellingham, 49, love certainly proves to be the unifying force in their relationship and marriage. 
Married for nine years, they are the proud parents to eightyear-old Aisha Marie  Ellingham, seven-year-old Alana Jane  Ellingham, and two-year-old Aila Claire Ellingham.   
The couple first met in 2000 when Najua went to the United Kingdom with her aunt for a holiday. 
“Paul was a friend of my aunt, and he came to the airport to pick us up,” she recalls. 
At that time, Najua was 19 and Paul, 34. Despite the 15-year age gap between them, a close friendship soon developed  between the pair. 
Six years later, in 2006, Paul took on a position as an oil trader in Kuala Lumpur. When he moved and settled down in the country, he and Najua began to see each other more often. Slowly their friendship  developed into a more serious relationship, and on July 7, 2007, they were married.   
“I received my parents’ blessings,” Najua says on her choice of a foreign husband. 
As she was not the first one in her family to marry someone from a different cultural and  religious background, her relatives were more open to their mixed  marriage. But there were other people who raised doubts about their  relationship. 
“They asked me why I had to marry a Mat Salleh, as if there were no more Malay guys left,” she says with a laugh. 
Some even tried to frighten her by saying foreign men just like to have ‘fun’ with local girls and once that was over, they would abandon the girls and go back to their native land. 
But Najua tuned out the  negative comments made about her relationship with Paul and just held on to her faith in her husband.  “One advice I would like to give to couples from different backgrounds who plan to get  married is not to dwell too much on their differences,” she advises. 
“All you need is to get your parents’ blessings, and I believe once you have that, everything will work out smoothly.”  
When asked what drew her to Paul, she says: “He is a very positive person and has a great zest for life. You hardly see him looking sad.”  
For Paul, it was his father who had encouraged him to marry Najua. “My father said it does not matter who I marry as long as I was happy,” he says. 
“I never looked at Najua as a ‘Malay woman’. I see her as the woman I love.” 
Paul did not have any  reservations adapting to his wife’s religion and culture. 
“I am still learning about  Islam,” he says. 
“My wife is  helping me understand Islam  better. [Anyway] even scholars take years to understand the religion.” 
For every Ramadan since his marriage, Paul has undergone the fast. He then dresses up in his baju Melayu for the first day of Hari Raya. The first time he put on a baju Melayu was in 2006, for his  company’s Raya open house. 
He was very conscious about wearing the baju Melayu when he first put it on, he says, but now, he is more at ease. 
“But I still need someone to tie the kain samping for me,” he adds with a laugh.  
On the second day of Raya, Paul will be travelling to Alor Star to visit his in-laws. 
“[My wife’s relatives] all treat me well and I feel very welcome and a part of the family,” he says. 
“My Malay is limited and so is their English. But we will still try to have a conversation. 
“Eastern culture emphasises on  family  relationships and I love that  element very much.”  
Their three daughters have no difficulty adapting to both cultures. “My parents are Christians, and my children are Muslims,” he says but adds that his parents love the children very much despite their cultural and religious differences. 
“They often Skype us just to talk to my children.”  
Paul points out that every marriage has its ups and downs, and theirs is no different. 
 “It is love that should keep you together,” he says. 
“It is also love that helps you overcome all  obstacles in the marriage.” 
Indeed, one can never  underestimate the power of love

David Teo & China

Film producer David Teo speaks to theSun about penetrating the movie scene in China.  Read the full story here 

Headline 
By Bissme S 

AFTER having produced over 130 films in his 15-year career in the local film industry, David Teo wants to spread his wings overseas. 
“I do not want to be a jaguh kampung any more,” says Teo, 51. 
“I want to think outside the box [and] find new markets and new audiences.” 
Teo, who is also the chief executive officer of MIG Pictures, hopes to set up a production house under MIG Pictures in Beijing by the end of this year. 
“This dream of penetrating the Chinese film industry has been playing in my mind since last year,” he says. 
“China is a booming market. In the past, the authorities there were not keen on the entertainment industry. They had all kind of censorship restrictions in place. But now, the authorities are more open-minded.” 
Once his production house is ready, Teo will immediately start producing movies with Chinese directors and actors. He adds that he will be bringing in a crew of Malaysians to work alongside the Chinese behind the scenes. 
“China has a long history in filmmaking. They have better skills than us. They can teach our crew new skills. When our crew return to Malaysia, they will be able to  their new knowledge. They will also be earning better money in China.” 
Teo is looking into ways to help Malaysian talents get a foothold in China as well by putting them into supporting roles in the movies he will be producting. 
The director-producer also intends to sell his Malaysian films over there. Pointing out that China has over 300 TV stations and 100 online TV outlets, he says he could easily sell his Malay movies with Chinese subtitles to these stations. 
“In a way, I am exposing Malaysian movies to a different market and audience.” 
He adds that we should take advantage of China’s huge movie audience. Giving the example of Stephen Chow’s Chinese New Year blockbuster Mermaid, which collected an astonishing RM1.8 billion at the worldwide box office, Teo comments: “We are only talking about millions at our box office, and they are already talking billions at their box office.” 
One wonders if Teo has any fears entering a market that is not familiar to him. 
“I have done my homework,” he says. 
“I am certain that I am on the right track. Entering a new market never frightened me. Business is all about taking risks. What frightens me is the people I am going to be working with. People can be unpredictable. The last thing I want is to be betrayed. 
“I want to be the lucky rat that falls into a pot that is filled with rice. I do not want to be the unlucky rat who falls into a pot that is filled with worms. Betrayal can be a bitter pill to swallow.” 
In the meantime, Teo has been keeping with his busy filming schedule with two local movies currently in production. The first is a Malay language comedy, Zack Kapcai, that centres on a man involved in illegal motorbike racing. When he learns from his mother that his estranged father is alive, he goes on a journey to find him, with hilarious results. The film, which stars Fad Bocey, Serina Redzuwan, Julia Marin and Shuk SYJ, is slated for release in local cinemas on July 14. The other is another Malay language film – a horror feature called Volkswagen Kuning, which opens on Sept 22. The film is about a man named Fuad, who brings his girlfriend Khaty back to his hometown to be introduced to his parents and relatives. Unfortunately, the couple get in an accident before they can reach their destination. Fuad is badly injured, but Khaty escapes without a scratch. However, it soon becomes clear that an evil spirit has possessed Khaty, and is out for blood. The film stars Pekin Ibrahim and Atikah Suhaime in the leading role.

The courage of Refugee

Today thesun published my interview with  Mahi Ramakrishnan who talks  about an art festival that she is organizing that celebrates the courage of refugee and her latest documentary Bodies for Sale. Here is the full story.  

Headline: Seeking Humanity in the Arts 
By Bissme S 

Documentarry filmmaker Mahi Ramakrishnan and audio visual artist Goh Lee Kwang are the brains behind the three-day Refugee Festival, taking place at Black Box, Publika Solaris Dutamas, in Kuala Lumpur, from June 24 to 26. 
“It is difficult to live the life of a refugee,” says Mahi in a recent interview, pointing out the fact that these people have left everything behind in their home countries, where they are often oppressed and suppressed. 
“They come to a new country in search of a better future,” she adds. 
“They are not victims. They are survivors. And this festival celebrates their courage.” 
The festival will feature screenings of short films and documentaries, photography exhibitions, poetry reading, dance performances, and a bazaar selling food and artworks by the refugees.
 However, there are Malaysians who believe refugees add to social ills here. “We are always afraid of something we do not know,” says Mahi. 
“Come to the festival, and meet the refugees and listen to their stories. You will realise that they are just like us. “
All they want is a better life for themselves and their family. 
“We have to realise that these refugees are a part of our community. We should create a conducive environment for them to live in. “Malaysia can be a role model for other countries to follow in dealing with the refugee issue.” 
One of the highlights of the festival is an art exhibition by 16 refugee children depicting their lives in Kuala Lumpur, entitled KL Kita Je. 
Visitors can also write their names (with their IC number) on postcards which are addressed to our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak. These postcards will be sent to the prime minister to urge him to provide proper education for the refugees’ children. 
“We have about 34,600 refugees below the age of 18, and it is important for these children to have a proper education,” she says. On her new documentary entitled Bodies for Sale, set to be screened at the festival on June 26 at 2pm, she tells of the heartbreaking and shocking stories she has documented. 
The 30-minute documentary depicts the abuse the Rohingyas have to endure at the hands of human traffickers. They range from rape to starvation, all while they are fleeing from persecution and injustice in their home country of Myanmar. 
“Whenever we talk about rape, we often imagine it is a woman getting raped,” says Mahi. 
“This time around, I managed to get a Rohingya man … to speak about his experience.” 
The man tells how four traffickers held him down, while taking turns to rape him. Mahi says that the rape took place in front of everyone, but none of the other refugees dared to stop it because they feared repercussion from the traffickers.
Mahi is also told of a sick game the traffickers used to play on the refugees. They would shout out that the authorities were conducting a raid and watch the refugees panic and start running for cover. The traffickers would then chase after the female refugees, catch them and rape them. 
“These sick people just love the thrill of scaring their victims,” Mahi says. 
“It [was] not only men and women who got raped. Children got raped, too.” 
For Mahi, these horrific tales were depressing to listen to, gut-wrenching and extremely upsetting. “
There is sense of helplessness and hopelessness in their situation,” she says. 
“It is difficult for me to emotionally detach myself from what I am hearing. I feel so sad and angry that there are people who have the power to stop this abuse, but they are doing nothing about it. 
“This has motivated me to make this documentary and show it to the public. I am hoping that, after watching this documentary, perhaps we could put our minds together and find a solution to stop the abuse of the refugees.”

K Rajagopal & A Yellow Bird

I had interviewed the Singapore  director K Rajagopal whose film A Yellow Bird was showed at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The story was published in theSun today. Here is the full story  

Headline: An Eye  For Realism 
By Bissme S

To have your film screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival is a great honour, and 51-year-old Singaporean director K. Rajagopal earned it last month with his first feature. A Yellow Bird, which tackles issues of racism and migrants in Singapore, was shown at Cannes under the International Critics’ Week category.
"The audience in Cannes found the film intense, and felt it showed a different side of Singapore which they were not familiar with,” says Rajagopal, in a recent interview with theSun. 
A Yellow Bird centres on Siva ( played by Singaporean actor, producer and director Sivakumar Palakrishnan) who is released after eight years behind bars. But when he returns home, his mother ( Seema Biswas) does not welcome him and his wife has abandoned him, taking away their only child. While searching for his wife and daughter, Siva saves Chinese immigrant Chen (played by Chinese actress Huang Lu) from a violent man. 
Chen is working as a prostitute to pay off her family’s debt. The girl begins to see Siva as a kindred spirit in a brutal world, and a relationship develops between them. But Siva’s violent past will not leave him alone. A Yellow Bird will be shown in cinemas in Singapore at the end of the year. 
“I have always given voice to the minority [groups] in my short films,” Rajagopal says. 
“Racism exists everywhere. In Singapore, racism is not overt but is simmering beneath the skin. The minorities shy away from discussing this issue as it can be uncomfortable to talk about it in a multiracial and modernised environment.” 
Explaining the title of his film, he says: “When I was a child, my mother used to say that if you see a yellow bird, make a wish because you will meet someone nice or receive good news. 
“I grew up believing this myth. I wanted to explore the idea of hope and false hope in my film.” 
To get the best out of his cast, Rajagopal held vigorous rehearsals. “The characters were quite dark and intense, so the actors must be carefully handled to get the best out of them.” 
Rajagopal had nothing but praise for his cast. 
“They were very much an intuitive and sensitive bunch, who took on the challenge to work hard and achieve the realism that was necessary for the film.” 
He even got lead actor Sivakumar to live on the streets for few days. He says: 
“The film is solely dependent on his character, as we follow him from beginning to the end. He needs to be very convincing as an ex-convict and homeless person and, at the same time, displays a strong sense of loneliness and hopelessness.” 
Rajagopal himself started out as a theatre actor. He has worked under renowned Singaporean directors such as William Teo, Pao Kun, Keng Sen and Ariffin Noer. 
“I learnt a lot from them,” he says. 
“But I wanted to be my own storyteller.” 
He began writing very simple stories which he made into award-winning short films. Rajagopal’s confidence grew with each win. He then focused on making films for televisions before venturing into his first feature effort. 
Rajagopal picks Adoor Gopalakrishnan as his favourite director as he admires this Indian director’s films. 
“He was one of the first filmmakers of Parallel Cinema in Kerala, India.” 
He also likes filmmakers such as Andrei Tarkovsky, Francois Truffaut, the Dardenne brothers and Mike Leigh. 
“They laid [open] life experiences in their films in a very realistic and lyrical manner without the frills,” he says. 
One can certainly see similar elements of realism in Rajagopal’s works, too.

A scene from the movie 

Iedil Putra & Interchange

Malaysian actor ledil Putra talks to theSun about his role in the much anticipated film Interchange and his love for acting. Here is the full article. 

Headline: Sticking to His passion 
By Bissme S 

Actor Iedil Putra’s dream of working with award-winning director Dain Said has finally come true. The 32- year-old has a starring role in Dain’s upcoming film, Interchange, a supernatural thriller that will open in cinemas at the end of the year. 
“I loved Bunohan, and I have always wanted to work with [Dain],” says Iedil.  
In Interchange, the actor takes on the role of forensic photographer Adam, who becomes psychologically traumatised after photographing numerous brutal crimes. 
Adam then locks himself in his condominium and spies on his neighbours, taking pictures of them. When the beautiful Iva (played by award-winning Indonesian actress Prisia Nasution), moves into his neighbourhood, a relationship develops between them. Adam soon learns that 
loving Iva can be a dangerous thing when he gets dragged into a dark world filled with blood and gore. 
“I knew I would be in good hands when I accepted the role,” Iedil says of Dain. 
He loves the fact that the director organised a lot of meetings and also conducted rigorous rehearsals with his cast before shooting began. “Dain wants his actors to get into the skin of their characters,” Iedil says. 
“I believe rehearsals are important because the director needs to convey his vision to his actors. Rehearsals also allow the director and the actors to find better ways to present the story to the audience.” 
Iedil adds that Dain loves to use literature as a reference, pointing out that the director’s office is filled with books. He was even asked by Dain to read Albert Camus’ The Stranger to better understand his Adam character. Since his character is from Sabah, Iedil says Dain got a dialogue coach to teach him the Sabahan accent. “A lot of East Malaysian elements can be seen in this film,” he says, adding that this is something we seldom see portray in local films. 
Describing his character, Iedil says: “Adam is filled with angst and is reserved. He is always questioning life. I am nothing like Adam. I am more easy going.” 
Iedil is also excited with the news that Interchange has been picked up by Paris-based distribution company Reel Suspects. 
“I am always jealous to see our neighbouring countries producing good movies that have been widely accepted in international film festivals and international market,” he says. 
“We should be doing the same. At the end of the day, as an actor, I want to be involved in good projects. We should be paying more attention on developing good scripts.” Iedil has been acting professionally since he was nine years old. 
His first attempt at acting was in a stage play, I Remember the Rest House by the late director Syed Alwi. He also appeared in a handful of other plays. But at age 17, Iedil received a scholarship to study medicine in the United Kingdom. 
“I did not want to burden my parents … so I accepted the scholarship. I thought I could take up performing arts as a hobby.” 
But Iedil could not see himself as a doctor “when I am 65”, so he quit his studies and became a full-time actor. 
“My parents were sceptical about my decision, but in the end, they gave me their blessing.” 
Iedil has since delivered some notable performances as an actor such as playing a racist schoolboy in the stage play Parah, and an arrogant actor in the film Terbaik Dari Langit. 
When asked if he has any regrets choosing acting over medicine, he says: “Sometimes the industry can kill your spirit, and there are times I feel jaded being a Malaysian actor. 
“It is difficult to get good scripts and good roles. Sometimes, you have to accept roles that you are not happy with because you have to put food on the table. 
“In some productions, I am given a script just a day before the shoot. Sometimes, the script gets written on the set just hours before shooting begins. How do you expect an actor to get into his character just hours before the shoot? 
“But I am passionate about what I do, and you don’t give up on what you are passionate about. You just stick with it.” 

KL24:Zombies

Malaysian film makers James Lee,  Gavin Yap  and  Shamaine Othman will be directing a Malaysian feature film that audience can watch for free in YouTube. Read about it in theSun today.

Headline : Creating Zombies
By Bissme S

HISTORY will soon be made when KL24: Zombies becomes the first Malaysian feature film that audiences can watch for free in its entirety on YouTube. 
The project is the brainchild of producer and director James Lee, who has previously uploaded several of his short films on YouTube. 
“My shorts are not as popular as cat and baby videos but still, I am please with the growing number of people who are watching [them],” Lee said. 
“I’m slowly building up an audience for my works on YouTube.” For KL24: Zombies, Lee has roped in fellow directors Gavin Yap and Shamaine Othman to co-direct segments of the film. 
theSun recently caught up with Lee and Shamaine to talk about the film. (Yap was in Singapore for a project.) Lee explained that he has partnered with local crowdbacking platform webe, which is providing funding for the film. The film, budgeted at RM200,000, starts shooting in July and the 90-minute movie will be uploaded on YouTube in September. 
“The most common way for a Malaysian feature film to reach audiences is to showcase at cinemas,” Lee said. 
But the director hopes to change this and find innovative ways to reach a new segment of the local audience. He pointed out that a movie does not remain on screen in the cinema forever as it will be replaced by other films. 
“But a movie uploaded online will likely remain on YouTube,” he says. 
Testing new grounds in the film industry is nothing new for Lee. In early 2000, when films were made using huge cameras, cast and crew, Lee hired a small crew and cast and shot his film using a digital camera instead. He is also one of the pioneers in the Malaysian independent film scene. His film, The Beautiful Washing Machine, won the best Asean feature award and the Fipresci Prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival in 2005. Lee then moved from making independent films to commercial films. However, some of his experiences in the commercial film industry were not pleasant. 
“I was begining to lose myself in the commercial film world,” he recalled. 
“Filmmaking was becoming just another job to me. My passion for it was slowly disappearing. All I wanted to do was to complete the shoot as fast as possible. 
“I felt that the way we tell our stories in commercial films is not progressing.” 
The increasingly-jaded Lee decided to explore other options in order to recapture his excitement for the craft of filmmaking. He went back to the basics of making a film. 
“In the past, I would have 30 people on the set to shoot a scene,” he said. 
Now, Lee has a much smaller crew and cast, and he found the whole experience to be very humbling. 
“It is like, overnight, you are no longer a millionaire,” he said with a laugh. 
However, he did not mind the changes. More important, his passion for making films has returned. His new philosophy extends to the planned schedule for shooting KL24: Zombies alongside Shamaine and Yap. Shooting will take place over 15 days in July, with each director given five days to shoot his or her segment.
 Yap’s segment deals with a dysfunctional Chinese family whose members are trapped together in a condominium with a Malay girl (played by award-winning actress Sharifah Amani), the girlfriend of the eldest son. The entire group must strive to stay alive while waiting for a zombie outbreak to be brought under control. 
In her segment, Shamaine is featuring the story of a rich man who has four wives. When one of the wives becomes a zombie, the other three wives want to kill her. But the husband goes all out to protect her as he loves her the most. 
The 32-year-old director and actress said her segment deals with the issue of polygamy. “I am anti-polygamy,” Shamaine declared. “I believe polygamy is archaic. In the past, it was practised because women could not fend for themselves. These days, women do not need to be rescued.” 
Though Shamaine admitted not being a fan of the zombie genre, she decided to be involved in this project because “I want to step out from my comfort zone and do something that I have never done before”. 
For his segment, Lee is portraying the chaos that takes place in the city centre when the zombie outbreak first begins. A group of humans must band together to try survive the flesh-eating horde. Lee will be featuring famous tourist spots around Kuala Lumpur, including the Petronas Twin Towers and Dataran Merdeka. “Zombie-themed films have always been popular worldwide,” said Lee on his choice of the genre. 
“I am also dealing with racial segregration in Malaysia in this film. Zombie movies are always a form of social commentary on the society we live in.” 

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Footnote: KL24: Zombies requires support by members of the public in order to unlock funding from webe. Crowd backing is free, and can be done until June 12 via the webe community mobile app. For more, visit the webe website.