(To get into the mood of this post, I recommend to press the play button and read away!)
After a couple of failed outings with friends to watch Kolumpo in Kolumpo itself, I finally caught it at my hometown yesterday at TGV Tebrau City, JB yesterday! Knowing me, I've always been an avid fan of independent local films and music, it was just predictable for me to catch Kolumpo. Got to know about the film when I was at the Kakiseni Arts Festival Street Parade back in May actually when the box head crew were part of the parade, giving out free aiskrim Malaysia! Then, I didn't know what it was about, I thought it was just a really cool arts demonstration. It wasn't until I checked out their pages on social media that I found out it was a film coming out in December! I feel it was great marketing tactics, nevertheless!
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| Nope, it's not a protest! It's the Kolumpo Box Head Crew! (Photo credits to Muiz) |
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| Got free syrup-flavoured aiskrim Malaysia! (Photo credit to Muiz) |
Okay, before I go on and on about meeting the cast and all, I'll talk about what I thought about the film. Of course, the film turned out amazing! To those who aren't familiar with Kolumpo the film, here's a little insight. Kolumpo's basically a compilation of 3 simple and light-hearted short films directed by 3 young budding Malaysian filmmakers, with a passionate all-Malaysian cast and crew, for Malaysians. Despite having the diversity of three separate stories, I think all three of them portrays a fresh, grappling-yet-honest side of the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur and weaves a tale of hope and dreams as diverse as the very fabric of the magnificent city itself.
- The first short film directed by the handsome and multi-talented Bront Palarae, depicts a young Indian immigrant worker who came to Kolumpo in hopes of making an honest living to support his family back in India, only to find that the company that offered him a job had closed down. (Un)fortunately, he is saved by a restaurant owner and there and then begins his life of an illegal immigrant worker in the bustling city of KL. (Look out for that familiar cheater of a cab driver which provided the audience with a lot of laughs, trust me)
- Young budding director, Rozi Izma directed the second piece which was set in Setapak where a young unmarried woman trying to avoid calls from her mother, finds herself spending the whole day trying to bring a senile amnesiac nenek home. And you know how Amnesia can be, the nenek brought her all over Kuala Lumpur. I particularly liked this story because it made me realise how we take a lot of things for granted especially the love our loved ones have for us. By the end of this short film, I admit that a little drop of tear slided down my right cheek. (Get ready to laugh and cry in this one, it is that heartfelt, I promise)
- Set in Ampang, director Sheikh Munasar brings us on a midnight journey of a young man who has never been in love before and meets a whimsically optimistic stranger after they both missed the last train. Meeting her was a life-defining moment for him as she showed him a glimpse of love through the people they meet and the conversations they made. This film was simple, honest and thought-provoking, for me. Thought-provoking in terms of how we judge people on the way they dress, the way they act and what it really means to be 'the better person'. It reminded me a lot of Parah, the play I saw last May, but instead of pulling out the race card, this was more of how society sees a certain person by the way they act. (I guess, yo have to watch the movie to truly understand what I'm trying to say here haha)
Silly me, initially thought Sharifah Amani and Sheikh Munasar (aka Moon) were gonna be sitting in front of me during the movie haha I would have laughed at my expression when I saw two tudung-clad ladies walking towards the rows in front of me. But after the movie whilst credits were rolling, the pixie-like Sharifah Amani appeared from the back entrance with a bunch of people and including Moon! I was trying to keep my crazy hyper fangirling to the minimum but shamelessly failed, as portrayed in the pictures below.
They are such down-to-earth, friendly people! It was great to be able to have a short conversation with both of them, especially Moon 'cause most people were flocking towards Nanina for pictures. Mum was equally excited and were singing praises for their work. Moon asked to interview us after our little conversation and that was what we did! Once I started speaking, I just can't stop! I think we spoke about how we felt about this film for much longer than what Moon had expected us to haha! Check @kolumpothemovie on Instagram to see what we said, though sadly Mum's part got cut off 'cause I think I was talking too much :P (Sorry, mom!)
Overall, Kolumpo is the epitome of a true-blue homegrown Malaysian film, made by Malaysians for Malaysians. If you like Yasmin Ahmad films, I think you'll really enjoy this one as it's spontaneous, simple, heartwarming, familiar, delightful and just truly Malaysian. So if you haven't catch Kolumpo yet or you're still waiting for somebody to belanja you a ticket, go watch it 'cause you're missing out biggggg time I'm telling you!
And if you're still skeptical about the quality of local films,
'kalau tak tengok, macam mana nak tahu?'
@kolumpothemovie // twitter
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