PETALING JAYA - Local movie Tiger Stripes, which has earned international accolades such as the Grand Jury award at Cannes, has been selected as Malaysia’s representative to the Academy Awards. Yesterday it began screening in selected cinemas under the GSC banner. It has certainly made many stand up and take a longer look at Malaysian filmmakers in a different light.
Director Amanda Nell Eu, however, has dropped a bombshell in saying that the version being shown in cinemas locally is a far cry from the original that has won praise and recognition worldwide as it is unduly censored.
“As many of you know, Tiger Stripes will have a very limited release in local cinemas on October 19,” she said in an Instagram post yesterday. “It's actually been so beautiful to see the buzz and excitement around it. I want to thank all of you for this – Tiger Stripes was made with Malaysians in mind as my priority audience; therefore, showing it back home would have been the most meaningful experience for me.”
“Unfortunately, though, I have to say that I do not stand behind the cut that will be shown in local cinemas,” she stressed.
She made the point that living as an artist and a filmmaker in Malaysia, she and her peers are used to having their work and voice censored. She added that she is not attacking the censorship board but stating that “the film that will be shown in local cinemas is not the film that we made, and it is not the film that won the Grand Prize of Critics Week in Cannes.”
“What has been censored from the film is the very joy of being a young girl in Malaysia,” she stressed. “A young girl who is maybe different from the rest, misunderstood, or has the urge to express herself differently from others -- a young girl who is innocent and curious about the world around her and fights for her existence in this world.”
Eu said that the ethos of the production company behind the movie, Ghost Grrrl Pictures, is to fight for such voices and celebrate a safe space for freedom of expression.
“It saddens us that this type of girl has to be censored from public view, and although we respect different opinions and sensitivities in our country, we wish that we had more freedom to discuss things openly and not quickly condemn and punish each other or have to hide away from things that we are afraid of.”
She added that she started the company with producer Foo Fei Ling to have the creative freedom. Being dictated on what we can or cannot show and limiting artistic voices in Malaysia is detrimental to our society, she said.
“We have always believed that the power of art is to open healthy discussion, to hear from diverse voices and stories, and to learn more about each other. In our opinion, the safest way to speak out, question and discuss has always been through art, and we believe and respect that the Malaysian audience has the maturity to make decisions based on their own critical choices.”
On other news, she expressed pride in being Malaysia's official entry for the Academy Awards and happiness in see the Malaysian film being appreciated worldwide during their festival travels.
“Ghost Grrrl Pictures and our larger team will try our best to make sure Malaysians will one day get to see the film in full uncensored glory, director's cut... but legally, of course!” – The Vibes, October 21, 2023
