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Nose (小鼻) is from hong kong. He used to work in film festivals and now doing a mfa in school. He is currently working on another course work, studying the emerging malaysian independent cinema.

Nose: Before all else, i need to let you know i like LOVE CONQUERS ALL, and A TREE IN TANJUNG MALIM too, the former is a very nice piece. no explicit demonstration of autuership but a sincere portrait of a depressing human; many young directors are so eager to show their mastery of film language but overlook the story and particularly the characters... you are an exceptional. your work reminded me a quote from an article about wu tian ming, the 5th generation chinese direcor, critizes the recent films of chan kai ge and zhang yi mou:

"...In the end the director compete with each other on the observation and understanding of social and human existence, not visual composition, colour or style. That are all skill, and they replace the content of a film with the skill, this is the lost of Cinema..."
「導演最後比的是對社會、人生的理解和掌握功力，不是比構圖、色彩、手法，那些只是手段，他們把手段當了內容，這是電影的迷惘。」

see if you are free to answer a few questions for me:

1. you are a recognised writer. WHY you make films? HOW do you enter the scene?

No. I am not a recognised writer. I write and sometimes I have column in newspaper but I think I am not so known as a writer. I do think some of my writings are special but there are really not so significant.

I was very much inspired by Amir and James. I involved in a few of their projects and I started to make short films.

2. HOW do you see the relationship of indie movement with the local film and tv industry. is it a seeding ground to the movement?

I guess the relation was not so direct. But I'm sure it would had been much harder if there were no film and tv industry in Malaysia.

Since the beginning, a local TV production company, Red Comm has been supporting the independent filmmaking. And some fo the filmmakers had learned their craft in Film, TV or TV commercial. They then established a distribution company called Red Films.

It is not a seeding ground, but it is a ground somehow.

3. can i say the indie movement is a "cinema of identity"? can you EXPLAIN the fact that why the indie movement is somehow dominated by a chinese community?

( as of many other things in Malaysia, the first thing we want to know is one's race ----- "it is a multi-racist country." once Amir said)

For a very long time, the cinema in Malaysia was dominated by malay films.

Basically a Malay filmmakers have more chance of getting financial support from government or local studio. They are not as desperate as the chinese filmmakers. And hence they have different way of working and showing the films. And of course, there are many exceptions.

I don't really agree that "indie movement is somehow dominated by a chinese community".

The whole independent film movement was started by Amir Muhammad's "Lips to Lips" in year 2000. And Osman Ali's "Bukak Api" had also inspired many local filmmakers.

Filmmakers with films traveling in international film festival are:

Malay filmmakers: Amir Muhammad, Yasmin Ahmad, U-wei Hajisaari, Azharr Rudin, Osman Ali
Chinese filmmakers: James Lee, Ho Yuhang, Tan Chui Mui, Woo Ming Jin, Khoo Eng Yow, Liew Seng Tat
Indian Filmmaker: Deepak Kumaran Menon
Others: Bernard Chauly

(Many might find it bizarre or racist to list the filmmakers according to their race. Don't worry about that, we are from Malaysia, we are use to this.)

I could make an assumption that, most of the Malay filmmakers are still have mass local audience, and the chinese filmmakers are only making film as an art or as personal expression, since there is no chance to make money in local market anyway.

Filmmakers like Yasmin Ahmad had many box offices success. She is loved by all.

4. you are very popular in the festival circuit in the recent year.
HOW do you see the significance of film festival towards a filmmaker?

Exposure.
In a very short time, Malaysian film and Malaysian filmmakers became known to many film critics, festival programmers, cinephiles.

Networking.
Strangely, I first met most of the south east asian filmmakers in Europe. It have a specific environment for filmmakers to get to know each others, and to see each others' films.

Award and Prizes
It does makes a big difference to a young filmmaker.

Sales / financing
There are chances, although not always optimistic, that you could get your film sold or get financing for next project.

5. the malaysian indie seems more popular abroad. HOW do you see the local market? have you think of any ways to nurture the local audience?

I really have no idea how the local market is.
the general audience who like to watch general film, they have no interest in our films.
the art-film lover who are very exposed to high-brow art films, they think our films are too raw and with bad production quality.

No, I don't know a way to nurture audience. I do think the pirate DVD had done a much better jobs.

6. you make your first feature with the help of hubert bals fund, and it will be terminated next year. do you think it is a hurdle to the blooming malaysian indie movement?

Yes, there were many Malayisan indie films supported by Hubert Bals Fund. Namel films of James Lee, Ho Yuhang, Woo Ming Jin, Deepak Kumaran Menon and me.

I think it would be very difficult for me to make Love Conquers All without Hubert Bals Fund. I might be able to get funding somewhere but I would not be able to enjoy the freedom I had.

It would be a big loss for us.

-APR 25 2007

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