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THE heart-rending story of a daughter plunged into the criminal justice system as her 60-year-old father is arrested for using medical cannabis to treat his chronic illness is among the line-up for this year’s Freedom Film Fest.
Malaysia’s leading human rights documentary film festival is back to bring Malaysian stories that are unseen, unheard, and untold to the masses. It will be held online from December 10 to 13.
‘Ayahku Dr G’ by Loh Jo Yee and Hidayah Hashim explores the world of lengthy legal proceedings and prison visits in a land where possession of cannabis is punishable by death.
This year’s festival, entitled ‘Bangsa: Manusia’ (Race: Human), will premiere eights films from Malaysia and one from Singapore. Among the themes presented are identity and representation, prejudice and stereotypes faced by communities with little or no representation in mainstream media.
“These voices have been left out and ignored in the national discourse, often drowned out by the more dominant discourse of race and religion in our country,” said FFN executive director Anna Har.
“Through FFF, they have an opportunity to voice out their own perspectives and hopes and more importantly, to be treated as human beings with equal rights.”
An eye-opening documentary about ageing is first-time filmmaker and gerontologist Lily Fu’s exploration on the alarming rise in cases of elderly persons being left at aged care homes in Malaysia. It focuses on the residents of Rumah Jagaan Orang Tua al-Ikhlas and its compassionate founder Puan Muji.
‘Nasir Jani Melawan Lembaga Puaka’ by Arian Md Zahari, follows rebel filmmaker Nasir Jani as he reflects on the mind-boggling system of film censorship in Malaysia, alongside a new generation of filmmakers.
The film explores how censorship is used to suppress identities and viewpoints that those in power believe threaten the official narrative, including by sanitising the image of rockstars and deleting LGBTQ+ characters from storylines.
Further challenging negative stereotypes is ‘Petani Bukan Pemalas’ (farmers are not lazy) by Nurfitri Amir. The documentary offers a rare perspective from traditional paddy farmers and their struggles to uphold their rights by promoting seed saving practice and food sovereignty.
‘The Shades of Love’ by Singaporean filmmaker Jessica Lee, amplifies the voices of Singapore's sex workers and utilises soundscapes and images, as an intimate way to portray the humans behind the work.
FFF is also proud to premiere two fiction films from indigenous women who rarely see themselves represented in mainstream media. Seeking to change that narrative, they present ‘Selai Kayu Yek’ (‘Roots of My Land’) and ‘Klinik Ku Hutan’ (‘The Forest, My Clinic’). The films, which tackle issues of indigenous rights and identity, are the result of a two-year participatory film project with young Orang Asli women from across Peninsular Malaysia.
And do not miss Norhayati Kaprawi's first foray into clay puppet animation, ‘SULOH’, which follows the story of Kak Ton who finds an inspiring and creative way to rebuild her life after being left by her polygamous husband.
The audience can also look forward to FFF's dynamic post-screening discussions for an opportunity to interact with filmmakers and film protagonists. This includes specially curated talks hosted by FFN partners from across Malaysia and Singapore, which put a local perspective on this year's theme. – The Vibes, November 23, 2020
The festival will run online via the streaming platform CloudTheatre. Tickets and screening dates will be available on their website from December 1, 2020. For more information, visit https://freedomfilm.my/festival/.
