From Jemapoh to Manchester

From Jemapoh to Manchester has all the characteristics of a road-movie, be it that the roaming is not just for its own sake. The Malaysian bosom buddies Mafiz and Yadi have a clear destination in mind for their journey: Manchester in England. Yadi is fan of Manchester United and of Georgie Best while Mafiz wants to look for his father, who once left as a seaman for Liverpool. Just as important is the fact that there is nothing to do in the rural village of Jemapoh. Unless you want to count cows. With a mixture of naivety and determination, the two friends set off. In a borrowed car, without the vaguest notion of what awaits them or even where Manchester is. On the way they meet Lini and Mila, who have their own reasons for tagging along with the two. At first the new travelling companions drive a wedge between the two friends, but the adventures they have on their way create a tight bond between the four of them. Whether they will ever reach Manchester is still dubious at the end of the film, but they have probably already found what they were really looking for.With a melancholy gaze and mild humour Rais sketches in his début the impossible desires of two boys looking for happiness.