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Watch out, here comes Liew Seng Tat!


We almost did not clinch this email interview. We almost missed this opportunity to get to know one of Malaysia’s upcoming filmmakers We almost blamed ourselves for not giving you an insight into director Liew Seng Tat’s wondrous mind. Liew, whose first feature Flower in the Pocket is being showcased at the 21st Singapore International Film Festival, is someone you’d want to talk with in person. Having established Da Huang Pictures with other Malaysian New Wave directors Amir Muhammad (Village People Road Show), James Lee (Histeria) and Tan Chui Mui (love Conquers All), Liew is definitely an ASian director worth looking out for.

But because we weren’t able to meet the talented 28-year-old over a cup of tea, we did the next best thing – an email interview in its entirety.

Q. Your debut feature Flower in the Pocket has garnered a number of awards at international film festivals. What does this mean to you as an up-and-coming director? Where do you see yourself 10 years down the road?

A. Getting awards and recognitions is good but it doesn't guarantee that my following projects will be as good as well. Still I need to work hard on my next script, in fact a lot harder this time now that the attentions and expectations are higher on me. 10 years down the road, if I'm still alive, I'll enroll myself in to a film school and learn to make a proper film.

Q. What was it like directing James Lee in your first feature film? As a director, how do you see yourself as being different from the other filmmakers at Da Huang Pictures (James Lee, Tan Chui Mui, Amir Muhammad)?

A. The father character was written kind of based on James Lee in real life. Well, at least the kind of impression he gave me when I first met him years ago. He was the right cast for the character. Directing James is a piece of cake. I was relieved to have him on the set because he's the only one with some experience in acting. The reason why we started Da Huang together is so that we could each make our own films. All the four directors at Da Huang make different films, totally opposite from each others, not deliberately wanting to be different. It's just the way we are.

Q. Flower in the Pocket is about two Chinese boys who grow up without knowing who their mother is. Their father is a workaholic so they're forced to grow up very quickly. What are your personal views about family love and kinship? How important are they in shaping a person's character and how have your own experiences made you who you are today?

A. I think family is a very important foundation in shaping a person's character. Good or bad, it all started in the family. Say, if you come from a broken family with a grandfather who sodomizes you three times a day, a grandmother who burns you with her iron without any concrete reasons. A father and stepmother who never care about you because they are too busy fighting and killing each others and you are adopted anyway. Will you grow up a normal kid? No, you probably won't but it's okay because you'll probably grow up to be a damn good filmmaker. Yes, from my experience, one has to have a f***ed up childhood in order to write good stories.

Q. What is making a film with three kids like? What were the easiest/most difficult aspects of managing these young actors? Why did you choose to include a Malay girl in the picture as well?

A. I was lucky because I got the right casting for the kid's roles in my film. That is very important to me. I told myself that if I couldn't find the suitable kids for the roles, I won't start making the film. The two main kids are non actors, fresh from the 'streets'. When I was rehearsing them for the first time, they almost choked me to death with their super terrible acting skills. But they are smart kids. You just need to guide them and open their 'doors' for them. Once they understand it, they can perform better than Amber Chia (a famous model in Malaysia), much better I must stress. Originally, the Malay girl character was written as a boy. But later on I changed it to a girl with sort of two personalities, she's a boy in front of the two boys and a girl when she's home with her mother and grandmother.

Q. While watching the film in Malaysia, a couple was overheard saying: "Not so many people watching this because it is a local production." What do you hope audiences will take home after watching your film? How important are the audience's reactions to you, and do you believe in making films for viewers or for yourself?

A. It depends on what 'local production' they were talking about. There is a huge market for local commercial Malay films within the country. The local audiences have been fed with only a certain type of films all along, which is the commercial type. Their perception of cinema is shaped based on that. I don't blame the audience for turning away from the kind of films we make, the kind of films that they are not used to watching. It takes time to build our own audience. It doesn't matter really if the amount of people who watch our films is pathetic. At least we managed to get our films out there for people to watch. Audience's reactions and feedbacks are very important to me because I don't make films to keep in the closet. I make films for people to see. I think a film would not be a complete film without its audience. Although my works are all works of fiction, I hope people can related to the story and the sense of reality in it.

Q. In your home country, there were some censorship problems with two scenes involving a puppy and a Malay textbook. Would you have re-shot those scenes knowing that they would be problematic? What do you think of the Malaysian censorship system?

A. I won't self-censor myself in order to come to terms with the censorship in Malaysia, or else the people working behind the censorship board will be out of job. Malaysian censorship is so unpredictable sometimes it creates better comedy than the Farrelly brothers. In the first place, there are no proper rules or system in Malaysia. Sometimes, violence like blood-splashing-limps-chopping war visuals are passed without a single snip but a Chinese guy greeting 'As-salaam alaykum' (Peace be with you) is beeped. God saves our children.

Q. In your home country, there were some censorship problems with two scenes involving a puppy and a Malay textbook. Would you have re-shot those scenes knowing that they would be problematic? What do you think of the Malaysian censorship system?

A. I won't self-censor myself in order to come to terms with the censorship in Malaysia, or else the people working behind the censorship board will be out of job. Malaysian censorship is so unpredictable sometimes it creates better comedy than the Farrelly brothers. In the first place, there are no proper rules or system in Malaysia. Sometimes, violence like blood-splashing-limps-chopping war visuals are passed without a single snip but a Chinese guy greeting 'As-salaam alaykum' (Peace be with you) is beeped. God saves our children.
- By John Li


  • Flower in the Pocket is reviewed here.
  • Call Sistic at 6348-5555 for tickets, or log on here for online bookings. Citigold clients and Citibank Ultima Credit Cardmembers will receive $2 off every purchase of one festival ticket. Citibank Clear and Platinum Credit Cardmembers will receive $1 off every purchase of one festival ticket.

The 21st Singapore International Film Festival runs from 4 – 14 April and free programmes begins 28 March – 3 April.
More information can be found here
.

Call Sistic at 6348-5555 for tickets, or log on here for online bookings. Citigold clients and Citibank Ultima Credit Cardmembers will receive $2 off every purchase of one festival ticket. Citibank Clear and Platinum Credit Cardmembers will receive $1 off every purchase
of one festival ticket.

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