MOST Hari Raya advertisements or short films devise a comical or heartfelt approach to storytelling, but an indie production company has now come up with a darker take on this year's celebration.
Recently, the production house Seni Lab released a concept short film titled 'Alam', which portrays the dismal atmosphere of Hari Raya under another round of the movement control order (MCO) this year.
Stretching to just under three minutes, Alam portrays a young man living alone and is stuck in isolation, trying to cope with everyday life.
The character's demeanor appears erratic as he struggles physically and mentally. And with Raya celebrations approaching amid the pandemic situation, the young man decides to restore a sense of normalcy by bringing back a piece of a memory of simpler times.
Describing the short film, director Taufiq Kamal said it was inspired by news of a prohibition to cross state and district lines during the MCO, which forced people to celebrate Hari Raya at home instead of meeting their relatives and loved ones.
In line with the self-sufficient and out-of-the-box notions of the film, Seni Lab came up with the quote "we are confined by the lines we draw for ourselves" as its resounding theme, Taufiq told The Vibes.
And while many still had the company of their direct family members at home during Hari Raya, others such as students and single people were not as fortunate.
"I wanted to explore how they are coping mentally, and I also believe that the 'state' that you are in, is affected by our own minds," Taufiq explained.
"If we chose to be depressed, and be stuck in a 'box', then we will be depressed, but if we chose to be okay, then things will be okay. That was the idea that I wanted to play around with."
Taufiq said in coming up with the unique concept, Seni Lab also decided to experiment with filmmaking that uses a darker tone and mood for Hari Raya.
"It's a more 'dirty' look that goes against the tide of Raya ads that we usually see," he said.
"We also wanted to avoid the e-hole of 'technology' in excluding phones, video calls and etc to (have the character) be in the moment physically," he said.
Taufiq said the short film was the company's own initiative and was not commissioned to promote any products or services.
"We had no budget, so we gathered our friends and decided to shoot it in our office," he said, adding the entire production – from drawing board to completion – took around five days.
"We are very thankful, and we were lucky enough that our friends wanted to join in and be part of the project." – The Vibes, May 29, 2021
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