The director gave at least two reasons why she made a series of short films in a brief period. She moved her office in Kuala Lumpur from a busy Indian area to a tranquil middle-class suburb. A new base and also a new approach, she thought, and she decided to make a short film every month. According to her, it didn’t matter whether the films were good or bad; making them was the main thing. The second reason was to have a ready answer to the question posed most often to the maker of a successful first film (in this case the Tiger Award winner Love Conquers All, 2006). Namely: ‘When is your second film coming?’ That second film takes time, so the answer for now is: ‘ I make short films. I make one every month.’
The seven short films in this series are very different. It occasionally appears as if the maker is dissatisfied with her training and is reinventing film history for herself. There is a very pure documentary (Chicken), there are dramatic dialogue-driven films (The Need of Ritual, Everyday, Everyday), dramatic actions (To Say Goodbye) and even burlesque science-fiction films (Dream #1, #2 and #3).
They are not just finger exercises, because several of them are small masterpieces. Within all these variations in form, the maker remain true to her theme. Her characters still do not allow themselves to be led by reason. Certainly not in love. (GjZ)
Film details
- Country of production
- Malaysia
- Year
- 2009
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2009
- Length
- 66'
- Medium/Format
- DV cam
