Malaysian Gods

MALAYSIAN GODS | Malaysia | 2009 | Documentary | 70 minutes | Tamil | English subtitles

Synopsis:
In September 1998, Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. His expulsion and subsequent trial for corruption and sodomy triggered a wave of street protests by his supporters and those who were against the authoritarian rule of the government. The label for this movement and era was 'reformasi' (reformation). Malaysian Gods takes a look at several pivotal protests that took place in the year following his sacking. It eschews archive footage in favour of interviews with people who are living, working in or visiting the actual locations of the demonstrations, about a decade later. All the interviews are done in Tamil, the main language of the smallest of the three major ethnic groups. What do people now have to say about their lives, hopes and dreams? And have the socio-political markers of Malaysian society changed all that much since then?

Director/Producer: Amir Muhammad
Executive Producer: Tan Chui Mui
Line Producer: Jasminatha Teo
Camera: Shan
Editor: MS Prem Nath
Inspired by the book "Face Off: A Malaysian Reformasi Diary" by Sabri Zain
Closing Song: Couple