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Comment by MalaysianCinema on October 1, 2022 at 11:24am

"In terms of how the authorities see it, films aren't even arts and culture but [a form of] communication," he said, referring to how films are expected to present some sort of narrative or message on behalf of the authorities.

Badrul also pointed to how there is a dearth of independent cinemas here to cater to a different audience rather than the ones served by local giants GSC and TGV.

"One thing any filmmaker should understand is that there are different kinds of audiences for different kinds of films. There will be films that can have a huge audience, but there will also be films that will only cater to a small group and require a smaller setting and smaller independent distributions.

"But those things are lacking here because we only have big cinemas. We only have multiplexes; we don't have independent cinemas," he commented, saying that a film with a smaller budget cannot afford to get distributed nationwide on GSC or TGV.

He said that this is why Malaysian independent filmmakers gravitate to streaming platforms, as it is a place where they knew they did not have to compete with larger films for an audience.

Sofia Jane's film 'Maryam Dari Pagi Ke Malam' is directed by Badrul Hisham Ismail (right) and produced by Anomalous Films' Eddy Abdullah (middle). — Picture by Choo Choy May
Sofia Jane's film 'Maryam Dari Pagi Ke Malam' is directed by Badrul Hisham Ismail (right) and produced by Anomalous Films' Eddy Abdullah (middle). — Picture by Choo Choy May

While acknowledging that streaming platforms such as Netflix has opened doors for films from abroad to compete against locally-produced content, Sofia said she views it as a challenge for local filmmakers to up their storytelling game.

"I always ask, if I can watch those kinds of films, why can't I watch locally produced films exactly like that?" she said, adding that there are young Malaysians who want to watch these kinds of films, but locally produced films lack the ability to attract moviegoers.

Sofia will appear next in Maryam Dari Pagi Ke Malam, directed by Badrul.

In Maryam, Sofia plays a gallery owner in her 50s from a noble Malay family who wishes to marry Damien, her younger partner from Sierra Leone, but faces opposition from her father (Omar Abdullah).

Producers Anomalous Films and Rhu Graha said the 90-minute film will playfully dissect the tensions, contradictions, and irony that surround polite society in Malaysia.

Currently in post-production, it also stars other renowned names in the industry such as Roslan Madun, Azman Hassan, Pekin Ibrahim and Bella Rahim in supporting roles.

Comment by iPLOP on July 26, 2018 at 10:36am

延續閱讀：

安煥然：漢都亞是不是華人

安煥然：說好中國故事

安煥然：誰是漢麗寶

安煥然：馬六甲史與中國文獻

安煥然：世界那麼大

安煥然：馬六甲聽得到84種語言

張立德：歷史故事館

張立德：說故事的人

張立德：“又見馬六甲”觀後感

張立德：故事的迷人之處

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