Pelikat Pants Designer

Pelikat Pants Designer
Number 1 Pelikat Pants Maker in the World!

Friday, December 30, 2005

BAIK PUNYA CILOK hits 1.1 MILLION mark after six days! and still going strong!!!

MAcam pinang di belah dua kan...kan...!! heehee. Like the pinang fruit cut into two!!

Back in the country after an amazing encounter in bangkok with 'Sai' aka Intira Charoenpura aka 'Nang Nak'... I am happy gila tenuk to inform you guys that she has Agreed to be in SUMO-lah!!! She said she loves the story and the uniqeness of the characters. WICKED!!... and a Reputable Thai production company straight away expressed their interest to Distribute the movie in Thailand!! DOUBLE WICKED.

So guys, we are on our way to having a first major internationally distributed Malaysian film in our hands - SUMOlah!!! It has always been my dream my friends to bring our Malaysian cinema to the world and now it is almost a reality. Alhamdulillah.

Also Alhamdulillah for all the people who have gone to see Baik Punya Cilok and have been going all out to spread the word to their suku sakat and friends. You guys really rock!!

much love and respect to you all.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

AFDLIN SHAUKI

Monday, December 26, 2005

BAIK PUNYA CILOK still going strong!!!... can we make this film hit 5 million???

We'll that is what they are telling me from kl as i am now in bangkok to try and woo a really excellent thai actress named Intira Jaroenpura aka Nang Nak to try and join the cast of SUMO-lah. I will not be berlagak and try to hide my excitement to meet this lady tomorrow, i believe she is truy one of Asia's most remarkable female actors. She is currently shooting a new film produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Prince Chatri Chalerm Yukol (Director of Legend of Suriyothai) at a budget of 50 million Dollarss!!! ( i suddenly have visions of Dr. Evil saying those figures aloud) and here i am a Malaysian Af-DE-WHo? offering her a role in a film with a budget that is probably smaller than the size of that production's catering budget. But i plod on, hoping that a good story would intice a fellow artiste to join a very determined and excited team of Malaysian film workers to try and bring a first truly International Malaysian film project to the region and perhaps the world.

A pipe dream, many might say but guess what? I am a person who constantly believe in dreams and making them come true. Buli was a dream... winning an award at the Malaysian Film Festival was a dream.... The current success of BAIK PUNYA CILOK is a dream... and now to conquer a greater vision of getting a local film distributed internationally... and maybe going to International film festivals and bringing pride to the country like P.Ramlee, Yasmin Ahmad, Ho Yuhang, Amir Muhammad, James Lee and to prove that mainstream doesn't mean shit-stream. Well, at least not all the time.

A great indication is that she has read the treatment and she thinks that it is really funny and a lot of fun. Next we have to talk money and schedules. YIKES!!!... donnolah... apa nak jadi-jadilah... Just tebalkan my face and make my ten cent face, get on my knees and get ready to beg and grovel. I have no shame, some of you might be saying.

Ab-so-frakking-lutely!!!... whatever for a DREAM.

Let's make Cilok the biggest film this year (well it is the last local film of 2005 anyway).... SPREAD THE WORD MY FRIENDS... UNLEASH YOUR EXCITEMENT TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY... IT IS YOUR FILM... YOU MADE IT THE MONSTER THAT IT IS RIGHT NOW, WITH YOUR SUPPORT!!! NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE MOVIES ARE IT WOULDN'T MEAN JACK WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT!!... YOU DESERVE BETTER MOVIES!!!... DON'T ENTERTAIN MEDIOCRITY!!!... SUPPORT NEW MALAYSIAN DIRECTORS!!!.... THE POWER IS WITH YOU!!!.... YOU TOO CAN STOP PIRACY IF YOU WANTED TOO!!!.... POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

AFDLIN SHAUKI

PS. ACTORLYMPICS starts tomorrow!!!.... so for an evening of live selambakodok komedy and the opportunity to meet the stars of BAIK PUNYA CILOK, CIP KODOK and Harith Iskander LIVE don't forget to make a date with us at Bangsar Actor's studio.

Baik Punya Cilok, first four days collection (+-) RM 700,000.00!!!!

The cinemas have been packing up every single day since it's opening and it is still going strong!!!.... please continue to spread the word if u like the movie and if you don't, don't give up on Malay movies!!!... i'm sure there are many other local directors out there who can whet ur appetite for good Malaysian cinema.

IKLAN tergempar : WE BEAT ERA at the ERA-DIGI futsal tournament in penang on saturday and guess what? we beat both DIGI and later ERA in the finals, by 2 goals to nothing, wicked!! . THE BAIK PUNYA CILOK Futsal TEAM RULES!!! I told the organisers oredi... we are not very skillful and bergaya, but the baik punya cilok team have great understanding of each other and have great fighting spirit cause, except for AC mizal, we ( lowly free-lancing film workers) need all the work that comes our way..

To be fair, there has been good and bad reviews of the movie, as a filmmaker i do not really care about reviews and will do my movies the way i see fit, but i want you to read them all and then watch the film and see with whom you agree with.

For a bad review of baik punya cilok, please read,
  • Sultan Muzaffar's Review


  • As for me, i like this one review which really captures the spirit of the Baik Punya Cilok that i wanted to make. read this review at
  • Solidmind's Review

  • .

    As my wife said, "It's all a matter of opinion , there is no right or wrong." (yeahh right!!)

    As for me, i remember what U-wei used to tell me, " u just tell ur story! let the technical people worry about the technical side". No excuses, but i guess tayangan unggul could have let me technically finish the film the way i wanted to. But that is another story, in another entry, at another time.

    Thanks for all ur support again and thanks for believing.

    Power to the People

    AFDLIN SHAUKI

    Friday, December 23, 2005

    BAIK PUNYA CILOK ROCKING AROUND MALAYSIA!!! Terima kasih kerana sokongan kodok-kodok semua!!!

    Syukur Alhamdulillah!!!! setelah semalaman mengelabah macam tengilling terkena brandy (hmmmm.... macammana agaknya rupenya ek??).... i baru dapat tahu dari Producer i yang BAIK PUNYA CILOK full house all over MALAYSIA today!!!! dan kepada mereka yang bertanya, BPC opens in SINGAPORE and BRUNEI TODAY TOO!!!!!!.... GILA BABIIIIIIIIIII TONYOK!!!!

    Gua betul-betul dengan all humility dan rasa rendah dirinya ingin berterimakasih kepada semua rakyat malaysia, no matter what race or religion u are for having the faith to go to the cinema and spend your hard earnt wages and duit pusaka arwah tok anda semua kat panggung untuk menonton BAIK PUNYA CILOK.

    I really... really hope the momentum keeps on going and BAIK PUNYA CILOK becomes the monster MALAYSIAN movie of 2005. Ada satu cerita tu, satu family hampa tak dapat tengok BPC kerana ticket habis dan oleh sebab itu, TERPAKSA...TERPAKSA tau.... tengok KINGKONG. Gila tak GILA... selalu senarionya terbalik untuk MALAY MOVIES

    To those of you who haven't watched BPC, please... please make a date with us at any of the cinemas near you because from the feedback that i have been getting... it is a movie u must not miss kalau you mencari something different in MALAY MOVIES.

    Having said all that, i just wanna say that every film project for me is like school. I learn so much from each experience and will definitely try to make the next project better and i pray that god will always give me room to improve... so that i can keep giving u guys better and better stuff. Thank you again.

    All my love and respect

    Afdlin Shauki

    Monday, December 19, 2005

    BAIK PUNYA CILOK start KHAMIS 22 ni!!!!






    Gua excited sangat and NERVOUS yang teramat khinzir sekali akan pembukaan filem baik punya cilok pada hari khamis ni. I would really love for all of you to tell me what you think of it. Ianya bukanlah satu kerja yang perfect but in many ways ianya berbeza dari kebanyakan filem melayu yang lain. Ada yang mengatakan yang the story feels a bit like lock, stock and two smoking barrels but believe me any coincidences are incidental and bukan di CILOK dari situ. It is one of the movies that i used as a reference beside the italian job, snatch as i think LSATSB is one of the best crime caper type film that has been made in recent times. CILOK however has a very strong selamba Malaysian feel to it.

    To all the kodok-kodoks that have seen the movie and have been promoting it gila babi...THANK YOU!!! my brothers and sisters for your undying support and belief in my work.

    LET's ROCK THE CINEMAS AND MAKE CILOK ONE OF THE MOST HAPPENING KODOK EVENTS THIS YEAR. Bagitahu semua orang kampung untuk keluar hujung tahun ini untuk merasakan penangan BAIK PUNYA CILOK, insya-allah tak menyesal.
    The power is now in your hands to make this film a memorable experience.

    LOVE YOU ALL

    PEACE AND POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

    AFDLIN SHAUKI

    Thursday, December 15, 2005

    Finally i can BLOG....... Alhamdulillah! What an amazing two weeks.

    First of all sorry to all my kodoks because dah nak masuk dua minggu dah gua tak comolot ngan u all at the blog. GUA TERBUSY GILA YANG AMAT GILA SANGAT. Gua ada rasa macam tak dapat seks sebulan (only applicable to married bloggers yang dah bernikah). Now, i am ready and freer to purge the contents of my mind again.

    Macam-macam yang berlaku dalam hidup gua yang gua nak share ngan you all tapi tak tahu macam mana nak start.

    Kita mula dengan berita yang cukup menceriakan jiwa ku ini which is, dalam masa dua minggu ni i jadi uncle dua kali, first my sister jayjay gave bith the the beautiful NUR FATIN (she is so damn gorgeous) and then my brother azrul also had a baby boy with his wife Aqryf Shah (nah kau, the other kids are gonna have a field day trying to spell his name at school).
    I have always felt that babies are the bringers of rezeki and everytime a baby comes god opens another door of opportunity for us. Now, if only i can get my wife to subscribe to that point of view too. I am feeling the need and a sudden urge for an afdlin shauki junior or too. Two new lives introduced in this world, i think there is no news bigger than that.

    Now a bit of house keeping.

    FUUYO album!.... To all of you wondering what the hell is happening to my fuuyo order, the honest answer is

    1. After finishing the first shipment of CDs and cassettes, we have decided to include two new songs to the album and the mastering process

    2. Sadly, many people are enjoying the album for free and have not paid for their copy of the cd. I would just like to say thanks to all those guys that paid for the album and your friendship is greatly appreciated. Terimakasih seikhlas-ikhlasnya dan terima kasih kerana persahabatan anda, serta your belief in our art. But if not more of youstart to pay for the album, we would not have sufficient fund to remaster and repackage the second print. So tolonglah, let's not make this PROJECT: AFDLIN DAH HILANG AKAL fail because i want to hilang akal somemore.

    3. We are now going to print the next five thousand orders for all of you and please don't betray our trust relationship. If you don't like it, please return the album so somebody else can hear it.


    Next on the list was gua punya japan trip lebih kurang dalam 8 hari untuk mencari location for my upcoming film 'SUMO-lah'. Our adventure to the land of the rising sun took us from OSAKA to KITAKYUSU to FUKUOKA and finally to TOKYO. I must tell you that i have fallen in love with the beauty of the country and the warmth of the people. They were so welcoming and helpful to this small budgeted malaysian film and treated us like we were a hollywood film company. They told us what location we could get for free and what location was the one we could get the best price for and even the amateur sumo wrestlers offered to be in the film for free. I am hoping if there are any malaysian students staying in the fukuoka area and would like to join us as production assistants, u are more than welcomed to join in on the experience of making MALAYSIA's MOST UNSANGKARABLE FILM NEXT YEAR.. Just email me at selambakodok@gmail.com . too much to write about it here so i will continue the sumo story in the next blog.

    FAT, FOSSIL and FUNNY was the bomb and i really thought we created history that night.Jit ,Harith and myself really had fun with the collaboration and played to a fullhoue of around 500 pax audience. It was a powerhouse stand-up event

    Had a corporate dinner stand-up komedi show to help pay for some festive bank's warnings and notices

    Went to NIKKI's glass house and managed to hear her album for the first time... some good stuff, but what's more important is

    ALWAYS BELIEVE

    POWER TO THE PEOPLE

    Afdlin Shauki

    Monday, December 05, 2005

    Watch JULIUS CAESAR at KLPAC and support MALAYSIAN THEATRE!!


    Hi gang, sorry lama dah tak update but i have been swamped with work, tapi seperti biasa.... tak kaya-kaya jugak.
    Tapi gua redah aje liku-liku hidup ini bak kata si ZAITON SAMEON "Dulu aku sendiri... kini masih sendiri...!!!!" Rasanya macam nak give up pun ada... For your information, i have been busy all year round, but as for income received, this year has been the worst most f@*%ed up off recent years, so as thing would have it, I know feel like a MAS shareholder after reading it's 2005 financial report. alangkah baiknya kalau aku boleh membayar untuk lampin anak aku dengan sebuah lagu atau a joke. That would be the bomb. Oh... kalu ada kengkawan yang dah dapat album dan belum lagi sampai seru untuk membayar... this is a good time to think about it. heehee.

    BUT i still consider myself EXTREMELY lucky and because of that will continue on my journey through MORDOR to reach the fires of MOUNT DOOM so i shall be able to cast this preciously cursed ring into it's searing flames. ARRRGGHH!!! Basicly, i have achieved many landmarks thru this trying times and i guess the old saying of " You never know a true man's character until he is faced with hardship". Well, i come from hardship so i guess this is like visiting my kampung la... it's nice to visit once in a while, it reminds me that i am human, am fallible and still one of god's creature who is on a test called life.

    A lot happened in the recent weeks that i want to purge from my mind so that it doesn't rot in my brain or infect the joyful ions into becoming FRAKK-ed up ions.

    1. My sister gave birth to my latest niece. PUTRI NURFATIN ANTANSHA... haa ambik kau nama, memang nak menyusahkan jabatan pendaftaran la ni my sister ni. I saw the baby recently and she is absolutely gorgeous... i donno why, but i guess whenever i look at a baby's pure innocent face, smell their fresh newborn scent and gaze into their crystal eyes, i feel like i am looking at heaven. I WANT SOME MORE BABIES!!!!

    2. Found out my new father has relapsed back into his cancer situation. He is not going to do chemo this time but has opt to go to CHINA for some herbal treatment. Good thing he has my mom now to take care of him and be his companion thru this trying times. I WISH HIM WELL and all my prayers to him and my mom.

    3. I am smoking too frakk-ing much and i feel it is starting to affect me!!! Batu rasa macam nak tercabut paru-paru... but how to stop la...everyone around me smokes, so no support can be expected by them - except for my wife. i want to TAK NAK! tapi.... K GAK!! selalu terjadi. BUT I HAVE TO STOP!!!!

    4. I Saw Julius Caesar and lemme just say that i am impressed with the whole play and there were some truly memorable performances by the cast namely,
    PATRICK TEOH, ARI RATOS and GAVIN YAP who played members of Caesar's senate . As i am a big fan of Shakespeare and DRAMAS, i am however a bit irked by the fact that the men in the play were not sporting togas but some star trek outfits. The sound design for the play however was breathtaking and mengalahkan tengok wayang yang soundnya pakai DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND 6.1 EX. The price of the ticket to me was worth that alone.

    More importantly the play was directed by one of my Sifus - JOE HASHAM. A person who plucked me out of my college during my KPP days and told me that i had a talent in writing and directing plays. My first professionally produced play was directed by JOE HASHAM and the late KRISHEN JIT. If it weren't for them, i would still be an Architect. Trust me, that is a good thing.

    Also, it is important to support MALAYSIAN THEATRE because it is the source of many great talents to come. So please do try to make it to the play. Kalau interested to find out more check out

    5. Just got back from Singapore from the ASIA TV FORUM... and got Gurmit Singh aka Phua CHu Kang to agree to star in SUMO-LAH!...
    Banyak gak tv programme yang kita bercadang nak beli dari visit tu for our new tv channel... watch out for a truly kodok experience next year.

    6. APA NAK JADI DENGAN FILEM SUMO AKU???????..... Kitorang dah ready nak pegi JEPUN esok (5/12/05) dah tapi duit belum masuk lagi.... TOLONGLAH TUHANKU.... don't let me be a victim of another KEKENCINGAN (after my T.U. experience) and make my VENTURE CAPITALIST/INVESTOR pull thru. IF They do, they will realise that they will be a part of the biggest most rocking Malaysian film EVER!!
    SUMO-LAH.

    7. I am tired of empty promises.

    But that is life.

    But it shouldn't be.


    POWER TO THE PEOPLE

    AFDLIN SHAUKI

    Oh before i forget... i have tickets for 20 KODOKS TO WATCH A SPECIAL PREVIEW OF BAIK PUNYA CILOK!!!! COMPLETE DGN LUNCH BERSAMA ARTIS-ARTISNYA. THIS IS IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR SUPPORT TO ME AND MY RAMBLINGS SO IF U ARE INTERESTED PLEASE EMAIL
    lourenzar@yahoo.com
    The only catch is that it is on a working day 13th december 2005. 1 :30 pm at GSC Midvalley.
    C U THERE MY FELLOW KODOKs.

    Saturday, November 26, 2005

    WHY BE AFRAID OF MONSTERS WHEN YOU HAVE ULTRAMAN ON YOUR SIDE!

    Hey gang, i just have to share this with you cause it cracked me up so much. A friend sent this to me some time this week and it is the highest honour anyone has ever bestowed on me yet.

    What with the HOO HAA with the MAWI fanatics this week. Wow they treat him like god man. Untouchable. Infallible. Interesting to see Malays so driven.

    I now am now no longer afraid of bad people, extremists, fanatics, anonymous bloggers and gergasi-s anymore cause i got me some protection.

    I am proud to say that besides god almighty, i am also now under the perlindungan of..... ULTRAMEN!


    Picture taken at AKADEMI ULTRAMAN 3 finals at Bukit Jalil earier this week.

    POWER TO THE ULTRAKODOKS

    Afdlin Shauki

    DON't FORGET THE BAIK PUNYA CILOK SHOWCASE AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD THIS SUNDAY!!!

    Friday, November 25, 2005

    YOU CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE!


    A ccouple of days ago i attended a 'what was supposed to be a press conference' but the event ended up just being a conference because the press never showed up. This to me was a sad turn of events because here was a genuine MALAYSIAN effort to effect the world positively, to help out our fellow man who's basic human rights were violated and currently ill-treated by oppressors who have decided to to conform to the charter of Human rights set by the United Nations.

    Ini yang gua betul-betul tak faham. Did the press think this was not an interesting story that Malaysians would like to hear about? were they told not to attend by their superiors? Is amnesty international not as cool or as sexy as the AIDS council or MAKNA or PENYAYANG? Inquiring minds want to know... because there was a lot of food wasted you know and mak i cakap, tak baik membazir, rugi - tuhan marah. BUT i think you know, that is not the point.

    I actually never even realised that we had an AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL in Malaysia. Hence i didn't know what to expect but in the discussion that ensued i realise that it was so easy for me to become effective in this world. to make a difference.

    You see, for those of you who don't know, the main work done by members of AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is not tunjuk perasaan or create picket lines, but they are effective thru LETTER WRITING. Yes, letter writing! something that all of us use to do before the advent of E-mails and SMSs. Members of Amnesty international would write letters to appeal for justice for those individuals or people whose basic human rights were violated around the world. The AI's around the world appeal for cases not in their own country but for those outside. Apparently, governments around the world, really lift an eyebrow when they get a hundred letters from TAMAN KERAMAT, KL because he/she then realises that the world is watching what they are doing. Like the atrocities at GUANTANAMO by the American soldiers.

    Currently there are thousands of cases that need our attention. You choose who you want to write to. All cases have been thoroughly researched by the main AI office in London so you do not have to worry that it is a hoax because the whole effectiveness of Amnesty International depends on their accuracy with the cases.

    To me Gang this is the best way to promote brotherhood among human beings, to let the world know that we care for each other and that we have got each other's back. If we cannot do this simple thing... then i believe our planet is in serious trouble.



    AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
    24-HOUR GLOBAL LETTER WRITING MARATHON
    10-11th December 2005
    Venue: AI Office or Wherever you are
    SIGN UP NOW!!

    Every year in conjunction with International Human Rights Day (10th December) AI members and supporters around the world take part in a global letter writing marathon coordinated by AI Poland. During this 24 hours members get together to write letters to help victims of human rights abuses worldwide. A steady stream of letters does have an effect on governments. We know of many political prisoners who have been released or saved from torture or possible death. Last year AI members and supporters from over 30 countries wrote 27,700 letters worldwide.

    How does the letter writing marathon work?

    1. The marathon starts at 12pm on the 10th of December and we keep writing for 24 hours. It ends at 12pm on 11th December. You can write letters anytime during this period. You can come join us, at the venue, to write letters or get together with some of your friends, anywhere, and write letters or write from home

    2. Letters can be written on any case found on the AI website. You can find all our active Worldwide Appeals at http://web.amnesty.org/appeals/active . If you want we can also send the cases to you via e-mail.

    3. For those writing for the first time we will also send you a letter writing guide. We also suggest you use an aerogramme for each letter as they are the cheapest and most convenient method of mailing (RM0.50 sen)

    4. After you finish writing and mailing you need to provide feedback to the AI office on how many letters were written and on what cases. Then we will provide this information to AI Poland who will give us the global tally

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    AI 24-HOUR GLOBAL LETTER WRITING MARATHON REGISTRATION FORM

    Name :

    Contact Number :

    Email:

    Town/City :

    Time you will be writing (you can write for as long as you want):
    12pm-2pm / 2pm-4pm / 4pm-6pm / 6pm-8pm / 8pm-10pm / 10pm -12am
    12am-2am / 2am-4am / 4am-6am / 6am- 8am / 8am-10am / 10am-12pm

    Would you like to join an AI local group near you: YES/NO


    Would you like the cases emailed to you? YES/NO



    To become a member of AI please contact :
    ------------------------------------------------
    Amnesty International Malaysia
    E6, 3rd Floor, Bangunan Khas,
    Jalan 8/1E, 46050 Petaling Jaya,
    Selangor, Malaysia
    Tel : 03-79552680
    Fax: 03-79552682
    Email : aimalaysia@aimalaysia.org
    Website : http://www.aimalaysia.org
    - Defending human rights worldwide -


    To become a member of AI please contact :
    ------------------------------------------------
    Amnesty International Malaysia
    E6, 3rd Floor, Bangunan Khas,
    Jalan 8/1E, 46050 Petaling Jaya,
    Selangor, Malaysia
    Tel : 03-79552680
    Fax: 03-79552682
    Email : aimalaysia@aimalaysia.org
    Website : http://www.aimalaysia.org



    Who says we can't help affect change in the world. A teeny tiny letter from a malaysian with a big heart could just help a suffering human being across the seas.

    I would like to organize a flash mob event at the Amnesty international office so that we can show in force that we may be kodoks but we are kodoks who care about EVERYONE in the world. Lets give meaning to their lives by giving meaning to ours. Let's organize a time to do this people.

    Anyone / kodok who cannot come along, please arrange to write a few letters with the rest of your family or even friends and lets make it our commitment to help others for that day. i believe those who do, will soon realise that it is so easy to give to other people. Also don't forget, god loves a giver and gives to those who gives.

    SELAMAT SEMUANYA. AMAN MALAYSIA

    EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

    Afdlin Shauki

    Monday, November 21, 2005

    Alhamdulillah!!!... I SURVIVED THIS WEEK!.... I AM FAT (and sexy) AND I AM PROUD!

    It is sunday night / monday morning, i have just had my teh tarik with my WHY YOU STILL FAT? production team, Pacai (my bass/guitar player) and some close friends, and i feel completely lega... like orang sembelit temakan julap.

    It was an amazing experience and one with i share with some old friends and many new ones. I would like to thank all my kodok family for their outstanding support. i hope everyone had a good time and some of you maybe even had some positive minor revelations.

    One thing that truly blew me away was the fact that there were many malaysians who were experiencing stand-up comedy for the first time, thhank you for keeping an open mind and for the fortitude to seek something new.

    The show you guys saw is basically based on my candid feelings, observations and pretty much how i feel to be fat and malay in this day and age.

    There has been some inqueries about taking the show 'seberang seas' and I am excited about the prospect of probably doing this show again maybe for the malaysian community abroad like AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND, JAPAN, GERMANY, FRANCE etc... places where there are many homesick MALAYSIAN communities that would like a jist of what MALAYSIAN STAND-UP COMEDY is like. Anyone else interested or anyone with any malaysian student councils or embassies, please contact us if you guys are interested to organize a MALAYSIAN STAND-UP COMEDY WORLD TOUR in the country you're in. IT WOULD BE THE BOMB.


    After WHY YOU STILL FAT?, I think we are in for another treat, as ANOTHER top malaysian stand-up comedian JIT MURAD (one of the most intellectualy hip, happening and funny - comic legend! in my opinion - DAHSYAT GILA BEB!) is going to take centre stage and rock the microphone.

    THIS SHOW IS A MUST WATCH IF U WANT TO LAUGH KUAT-KUAT SOME MORE. DO CHECK THIS OUT. CONFIRM TAK MENYESAL GANG.

    Jit Happens...Again
     
     

    presents 
     
    "A fresh comedy that's guaranteed to have you laughing like nuts" - KLue
    "Jit is one of Malaysia's better playwrights...He is also quite funny" – Kakiseni
    "The bottom line is you won't be disappointed" – The Star
     
    He's back! The incorrigible, indomitable and irrepressible Jit Murad returns to stage with his acclaimed one-man comedy show. Stuffed with endearing anecdotes about the women in his life to animated stories of his childhood – plus a guest appearance from his maniacal counterpart René Choy – Jit Happens… Again is the perfect holiday treat for anyone in search of a good, LOUD laugh. Ya, you? Ya, you!

    Tuesday 22 Nov to Sunday 27 Nov, 8:30pm
    SIX NIGHTS ONLY!

    The Actors Studio Bangsar
    Bangsar Shopping Centre 3rd Floor, Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, KL

    Tickets RM35 & RM50

    50% discount for students/senior citizens (limited to 2 per person). For more group promotions, contact info@dramalab.com.my
    BOX-OFFICE 03-2094 0400 or 03-2094 1400
     
    LET'S OPEN OUR MIND FURTHER.
    EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

    AfDlin ShAuki to THe poWEr

    PS. SIAPA KATA KENA JADI MAWI NAK DAPAT FULL HOUSE TIAP MALAM. HEEHEE.
    

    Wednesday, November 16, 2005

    Happy and STRESSED!!!... Boleh berak keluar batu ni.


    Last sunday was an amazing ride. Alhamdulillah! Baik Punya Cilok Showcase memang happening dan adalah pengubat rindu gua untuk menyanyi live sekali lagi. Nyanyi untuk anak-anak dan kengkawan ketika hilang akal memang selalu, tetapi menyanyi dipentas dan meluahkan bakat berendam seakan seekor badak afrika yang kepanasan di keheningan dataran Kalahari.... jarang sesangat semenjak gua mengambil keputusan untuk menjadi komited dengan industri filem ini.

    Bestnya perasaan dapat bernyanyi kembali bersama kengkawan pemuzik iringan terutama sekali partner in crime gua PACAI. Bekas pemain bass kumpulan EKAMATRA ni, adalah pada pendapat gua, salah seorang insan Muzik yang paling berbakat di MALAYSIA ini. Apa jenis groove ataupun lagu dia boleh layan daripada Metal ke Jazz ke Joget. CONFIRM dia ni pun memang tak betul jugak dan gua rasa gua amat selesa bekerja dengan orang yang sentiasa terbuka untuk bereksperimentasi dan mencuba benda baru. Sayang sangat kat kawan lama gua yang juga merupakan seorang insan muzik yang agak frustrated dengan senario industri muzik ini.

    AC MIZAL dan HANS juga patut di berikan tabik spring jugak kerana telah memberikan satu persembahan yang amat dahsyat sekali. MUCH RESPECT to you mmy brothers. You have helped make that nite a very memorable one for a long time to come.

    CIP jugak nak ucapkan TERIMA KASIH kepada KODOK2 yang dapat hadir malam tu, you guys punya suppot make my heart feel very warm and geli-geli inside la... or is that my gastric?..hmm. I hope you know that eventhough we do it to enjoy ourselves but ultimately it's the rush o being entertaining to your viewers is what drives a performer on stage. Once again, thank you my bradas and sistaz.

    Tapi kini tibalah masaalah kedua gua minggu ini.. WHY YOU STILL FAT?... Stand up show gua pada 17 hingga 20 hb ni... Nak melahirkan gua dibuat memikirkannya... it is so tense.. thinking that i have to be on stage alone for about one hour or so just talking away, trying to make people laugh. Rasa macam ada berjuta semuttengah gigit jari kaki aku.... satu badan rasa ngilu... APAKAH KESUDAHANNYA MINGGU INI???.... TOLONGLAH TUHAN BAGILAH MINGGU NI HABIS CEPAT-CEPAT......itulah yang bermain diminda aku sekarang.

    This is the first PUBLIC solo show yang gua buat in the last four years and gua betul-betul stressed. So paham-paham jelah kalau gua tak blog sesangat minggu ni. Tengah tension. Rasa macam nak terberak sentiasa, tapi pegi jamban takde pa pe pun... doakanlah CIP mu ini kengkawan... INSYAALLAH dengan bantuannya...

    GUA AKAN ROCK MINGGU INI!!!!!!!!!!!

    SLEEPLESS IN SETIAWANGSA

    Afdlin Shauki

    Thursday, November 10, 2005

    OMIGOD!!!!!... THE DAY THE CENSORSHIP BOARD DIDN"T STRIKE !!


    I am amazed and at a loss for words ....

    Today i was told that BAIK PUNYA CILOK lulus tanpa potongan!!! that means both the studio films i did, including BULI BALIK didn't get a potongan.... What does this mean?... Is it a good sign?...is it a bad sign?...

    Does this mean my film doesn't have any street cred?... Is it too soft? Is it not provokable enough? heehee.. I am confused. The studios are happy and i am happy because now those two films can be watched without any ackwardness and in it's entirety.

    I admit that the two films don't really have HARD HITTING sensitive issues but i believe that they are good stories, with some elements that we thought were a bit sensitive to certain parties, but we just shot and kept those scenes in anyway...and they passed it. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...ALHAMDULILAH!

    but this doesn't change anything, RELAX THE CENSORSHIP STILL!!!!! so we can go to the next level. There is still much work for us to do here. To be world players.

    Day before yesterday i had the good fortune to be invited to the private screening of the final cut of GUBRA and i am once again in awe of my friend's very honest approach toward filmmaking. Yasmin is a gem in our industry. Her bravado in telling her story has taken Sepet to the dizzying heights of recognition that i am humbled by. There is much for me and a lot of filmmakers to learn from her uncomplicated and effective storytelling style.

    There were two very contrasting but deeply meaningful stories in GUBRA. There was the continuation of the ORKED story after she gets married to an older malay gentleman and then, there was also THE BILAL story. The latter really caught my eye more due to the fact that it was a topic that was close to my heart and an important story for all the muslim's here to see especially. Singapore CB has approved the film free off any cuts but i do believe, Yasmin will 'wake the slayer' in the CB members with this one( but then again i could be wrong, as in my case with CILOK).

    I REALLY, REALLY hope that people get to see this film because it will stir up all kinds of very positive and possibly unpleasant emotions. Watching GUBRA made me proud to be a filmmaker in Malaysia today. If this is the way that we are heading, the future looks very bright for us all.

    DAZED AND CONFUSED IN WANGSAMAJU

    AFDLIN
    LU CILOK GUA, GUA CILOK LU.

    Sunday, November 06, 2005

    THE WAY FORWARD!



    Wow, I haven't seen this much discussion and passion about a particular subject since the rumour that a famous female singer was seeing a datuk K. Thank you guys so much for your input yang bernas dan tak bernas.

    Personally, i don't know how far this discussion is going to turn into anything REAL but i know most of you will agree that

    1. WE MUST HAVE OUR CENSORSHIP LAWS RELAXED.

    2. WE MUST HAVE THE CENSORSHIP LAWS WRITTEN AND SET, SO THAT THERE IS NO AMBIGUITY OF WHAT CAN OR CANNOT
    BE DONE. THIS WILL ALSO SHOW HOW FAIR OR UNFAIR OUR SETS OF CENSORSHIP LAWS ARE. ONCE THE LAW IS SET, NO
    MORE ADDITIONAL RULES CAN BE ENACTED UNFAIRLY AND IMPOSED ON AN AD-HOC BASIS TO A SAID PRODUCTION.

    3. WE PREFER A CLASSIFICATION OR RATING SYSTEM, WHERE THE JOB OF THE CENSORSHIP BOARD IS TO GIVE RATINGS TO
    ANY FILM THAT PASSES THROUGH OUR SHORES SO THAT ONLY THE SUITABLE AGE GROUPS WITH THE PROPER MENTAL
    ACUMEN CAN WATCH THE FILMS WITH THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF V,H,S IN IT.

    4. GIVE US THE FREEDOM TO CREATE. TO TELL STORIES LIKE WE WERE TOLD ONCE AS CHILDREN. TO TELL STORIES LIKE IN
    THE GREAT ERA OF P RAMLEE, WHERE THEY WERE TELLING STORIES OF SOCIETY, SOCIAL DIVERSITY, URBAN LEGENDS,
    MYTHOLOGY, ROMANCE, BETRAYAL, INFIDELITY. ETC.. ETC.

    5. WE MUST HAVE MORE RESPONSIBLE AND EDUCATED FILM MAKERS.

    6. WE MUST EDUCATE THE MASS INTO WANTING MORE INTELLECTUAL CONTENT.

    7. WE MUST MAKE MORE FILMS WHICH WILL BE BRANDED AS MALAYSIAN FILMS.

    8. NO DOUBLE STANDARDS between LOCAL and INTERNATIONAL FILMS.

    9. WE NEED YOUNGER AND LEARNED PEOPLE IN THE CENSORSHIP BOARD. PEOPLE WHO CAN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN GOOD
    CINEMA AND BAD CINEMA. VIOLENCE FOR VIOLENCE SAKE OR VIOLENCE FOR THE SAKE OF TELLING A BIGGER MORE
    IMPORTANT MESSAGE.

    People always say why are our films not as good as P Ramlee's time, the answer to me is simple, besides the genus of a man being an undisputed visionary, he was allowed to explore and do much more interesting stories than we are allowed to. Some of his great films, are also now banned by our current censorship board.

    Can we make stories as good as P RAMLEE?
    I believe the man made movies for his time and was a man beyond his time, he saw things in a broarder context and not just in the point of view of the malays only. Probably this is one reason why he was so close with Tunku Abdul Rahman, who also carried the common vision of a country bigger than the Malays. A country where all it's people were equally as important. OUR FILMS SHOULD POTRAY US, not just one race.

    Why is it important for us to bring Malaysian cinema to the world?
    For many people, unless they have frequent flyer miles that would even make the harlem globe-trotters envious, a country's film is a reflection of how that country is, the mentality of the people, a reflection of their culture and beliefs, but most importantly, i think, how we as a people react to our experiences of life or times we are faced with dire conflicts. Our mettle if you may. A CINEMA WHICH DEFINES US.

    As is said by one THE VISITOR if i am not mistaken, right now the world knows we have the KLCC but all around it, they think we are still living in a swamp and on trees. We complain about it as when they showed that scene of the KLCC in ENTRAPMENT, but what else can we do? The people who control the media help shape the way people perceive others. This is evident on how the world perceive MUSLIMS through CNN, ABC and NBC. If we don't hit back, by enlightening the world thru WORLD CLASS films which can give an accurate potrayal of us as a country and as a people, then we cannot complain because we CHOOSE not to give the world anything but our SENARIOS and MAMI JARUMS.

    How do we get to do WORLD CLASS FILMs?
    Like JAPAN, KOREA, INDIA, HONGKONG and now even THAILAND, we have to have MORE RELAXED CENSORSHIP. Even Indonesia, which has even more fanatical Muslims there, have more relaxed and clearly set out rules of censorship.

    When this is done, i believe, then we will have more interesting content. We have to apply world standards of filmmaking but familiarised with local budgets. Give us five years and i believe within that time we will be noticed by the world. We can do it! LET US GROW TO OUR FULLEST POTENTIAL... These are all things that the government wants of its people, so let us help you, help the country.

    I am aware of the many naysayers who say, "alah... even if the censorship was relaxed pun our movies will still be crap." Well all i have to say to that kind of comment is that, "That is why we are still a 3rd world country you stupid frakk... because your mindset is still 3rd world!!"... HOW THE FRAKK WOULD YOU KNOW IF OUR MOVIES WILL STILL BE CRAP?... YOU SHOOT THE IDEA DOWN EVEN BEFORE WE ARE GIVEN A CHANCE TO TRY ANYTHING!! IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE LIVING THE LIFE OF MEDIOCRITY AND NOT WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE YOUR COUNTRY PROUD, keep your thoughts to yourself and don't involve the ones who want to EXCEL and have an AMAZING life in your agenda. WE have the gloss of the tallest this, the biggest that , the best whatever...now let's create some substance to our lives. IT IS OUR DUTY TO GOD (no matter which god you subscribe to or even if you believe there is one at that) to live our lives to the fullest and to face all it's challenges.

    YES I AM A FRAKKING POSITIVE THINKER!... BUT I AM A PERSON WHO BELIEVES DREAMS, WITH A LOT OF EFFORT, WILL BECOME REAL. THIS IS MY VISION. A VISION i know many people share.

    IF we can get enough people to believe in this VISION, to believe in themselves. WE WILL BECOME WORLD LEADERS. WE CAN SHOW THE WORLD WHAT A 'METROPOLITAN ISLAM HADHARI COUNTRY' IS ABOUT. (Errr... ok , i made that one up, but it sounds good- kan? heehee)

    Keep the ruling on SEX if we have too because, i believe that is all asian cultures have the same modesty regarding the matter, but free up the rest. Anyway i personally believe, in films especially, sex is sexier when inferred about, rather than shown.

    I REALLY want this to happen so that MALAYSIANS will be recognised in the world stage as great artisans and we can promote BRAND MALAYSIA, the body of work that all the brave new MALAYSIAN filmmakers have created through celluloid to potray the COUNTRY, in a more accurate light to the world. Make the world know who and what Malaysia is about and is REALLY capable of achieving.

    I AM PROUD TO BE MALAYSIAN AND I WANT THE WORLD TO TAKE NOTICE OF US.

    Watching Chris Rock's stand-up comedy dvd titled 'NEVER SCARED' really was quite an eye opener for me about how intelligent his material is. In one of his stand-up routines he said, "What makes and American an American?"......."If you fought in the world war and are serving the country by putting yourselves on the line to protect the safety of our nation, than you're AMERICAN!"..... "If you ran away from another country and had to swim across rivers and barb wire, risking your life and limb, in pursuit of the AMERICAN dream, you're AMERICAN!"... but, if all you are is someone who came out of your mother's vagina on AMERICAN soil, You're not AMERICAN!... You're just Lucky!"

    So i ask you this, ARE YOU MALAYSIAN?....OR ...ARE YOU JUST LUCKY?

    EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

    AFDLIN SHAUKI
    WANNABE MALAYSIAN.

    Wednesday, November 02, 2005

    FILM WARS - THE ENGINEER STRIKES BACK (heehee)

    hello friends,

    At this point i would just like to make it clear that i have nothing personal against WEBBER and have not taken offence to any of his comments. NO APOLOGY IS NECESSARY.

    This is because i really enjoy any form of intellectual discourse especially one which may eventually reach a healthy conclusion. I apologise to you if my tone sounded a bit stiff but i get really passionate when i speak about something i love, my intention is only to encourage further discussion and hats off to you sir for getting involved further. I REALLY ENJOY YOUR DISCUSSION.

    With regards to the Nascar example my friend, i do believe that F1 and Nascar is as similar to each other as sepak takraw is to a wet t-shirt contest. It is a different sport playing by different set of rules altogether.

    I just want to reiterate the fact that, the issue is how to make our films gain back the bulk of the malaysian market share and to be competitive in the international film market as what has now been achieved by korea and thailand.

    A better example would be between ferrari and for discussion sake, let's say minardi (Although personally i believe Mclaren ROCKS supreme!!). Both have the same sets of rules to play with (because we are in the same industry, ie the film industry) but one is wealthier than the other (US vs Malaysian budget). Your point rings true when you say better education would create better chances to succeed, as in Schumacher vs. Yoong. ( a more educated director could possibly make a better movie) BUT even so, once in a while, there is an opportunity for the RENAULT to shine, eventhough they are working with a smaller budget than ferrari, they find a way to beat goliath because THEY ALL STILL PLAY BY THE SAME RULES (even with a small budget great content can still shine . as in the case of the THAI film industry). But if Minardi for instance, already a weak team, is further weakened by given an additional set of rules only for them, for example , the driver must race in reverse!...heehee. I believe this would further impair their already unenviable position (Malaysia with inconsistent and harsh censorship).

    As in engineering, in architecture, we are asked to follow the proven principles of the past and build on that, in order to develop more advaced technologies (unless it is in a groundbreaking field of engineering with no prior references or case studies whatsoever) My discussions are based on actual data from case studies presented to us in the Asian Content industry seminar from the 14 asian nations and these data all suggests that in order for any film or film industry to get recognition internationally and to gain back the local market share, these countries must have relaxed their censorship laws. If one is not thinking to be a player in the international scene , i guess our censorship law is alright. no problem to cari makan. If that is all you want in life... to be ordinary and safe.

    Here i bring back the example of SEPET which has recently won The Tokyo International Film Festival's best Asian Film Award. The sepet version we saw in the malaysian cinema was severely and ridiculously censored but the version that is avaiable to the world is unadulterated. This shows that WE MALAYSIANS have content that intrigues the world but it has to be honest and It is not so much the budget, but the integrity of the content that is important. The less censorship, the more interesting the content is for the international market.

    I am so happy and excited for SEPET because i believe their win cements the behavioural pattern of the international market based on the data presented to us in the Asian Content Industry seminar. I also Want to congratulate YASMIN once again for her conviction to the integrity of her story and sincerely believe she will help lead us into a new era of filmmaking in Malaysia by example.

    I like what visitor said about the rating system. That is a true mark of a develop nation, that different age groups, with differing levels of experience and intellecetual development are allowed to watch content which is suitable for their age.

    By having a censorship system, the government is losing billion of dollars in potential income to the pirates. Because the more you suppress the more interest it generates. Almost all my friends have watched Schindler's list eventhough it was banned in Malaysia. You can get the DAREDEVIL dvd here eventhough the film itself was banned here in Malaysia.

    By having a censorship system we are saying that the people of Malaysia are not smart enough to judge for themselves what is good or bad, so, we will tell them what is good for them based on our personal value system and bias. Wow, how judgemental we are of our own countrymen. Or maybe that is our CULTURE?

    I am not asking an also not in agreement to no censorship. Keep what is really sensitive to our hearts like religion or what have you... but give us freedom to dabble in the rest. I tell you, then... people will start to notice the country that is near indonesia and in-between thailand and singapore! what's the name of that country again...??

    EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

    AFDLIN SHAUKI

    Tuesday, November 01, 2005

    ENGINEER VS FILMMAKER - A civilised discourse on filmmaking.

    I normally don't do this, but i guess i am in a mental state of mind where i am sick and tired of people generalising that all local filmmakers have no educational background and are a bunch of whinning artistes.

    I personally think that it is unfair for people to generalise and judge based on their limited knowledge of a subject matter but rather to be more ojectively inquiring and not stereotyping when in discussion.

    I do this entry in response to an ANONYMOUS blogger known only as WEBBER, basically this is in response to his response of my previous entry. (errr... or something like that)

    His respond reads...

    Anonymous said...
    my experience as an engineer, kitorang kalau design something, and then present something to the judges at any competition, we always have something we dont agree with the rulings and the way our design is judged.

    But year in and year out, there are many designs and engineering work that go around the rulebook but still manage to stay within the means of the rulings. And some even came out with an even better idea whenever they came with an obstacle provided by the judges.

    You filmmakers can learn a thing or two from us engineers. We accept any "censorships" as challenges for us to be better and to be more "open minded," and not the other way around.

    Im not disagreeing that more freedom means more creativity, but the reality of it is, you wont get total freedom, not in filmmaking not in life. So, getting the censorship board to ease up a bit, wouldnt make much of a difference.

    And i think, you can actually use the censorship to your advantage. Macam the iranian films where there is no touching between men and women. I think hollywood or the rest of the world are more interested nak tengok macamana producer film can make a film with those restrictions.

    Mungkin scene baling pemadam tu dilihat sebagai menjatuhkan maruah guru, but maybe there's a way that filmmakers can do something yang at least menggambarkan something of that perbuatan.

    In the engineering world, at least 80% of the best engineered things came from restrictions. Contoh like formula one car where the car used a fan to suck the car to the road. It was banned, which afterwards led to extensive aerodynamic work. Dari situ, we all dapat all those wings and winglet that you see nowadays. Less material, less moving parts, less electronics, and less cost.

    Even kat malaysia pun, we have some of the best mind in engineering, tapi the reality is ... most of them, banyak education, tapi tak banyak applications. Whereas the filmmakers kat malaysia pulak, banyak application, tapi tak banyak education.

    I guess what im trying to say is, prove what you're capable of within that restriction, and we'll let the public decide whether the censorship should ease up a bit or not.

    Or what we all engineer say, " let the right part fits and not the other way around."

    p/s: i lived in kampong before, tapi tak pernah pun tengok anak beranak duduk kat tangga sikat rambut sambil berkemban. Actually, ive never seen my family or my sedara mara, berkemban dalam rumah all the time like in Sepet. So i think that women berkemban dalam dan luar rumah is kind of an exegeration. Actually, i think 30% of the movie dalam sepet tu, tak melambangkan reality orang melayu. And most of my kampung or bandar frens agreed.

    Webber

    Tue Nov 01, 01:33:56 AM 2005


    This is my uneducated response...

    Dear webber yang dihormati,

    First of all, let me share with you that i completely agree that education, knowledge and wisdom is the key for anybody who wants to improve in life and other matters. I believe problems are our best teachers and discussion is the route to problemsolving.

    In the context to what you have said above,

    Thank you for bringing up our much admired Iranian friends in the film industry and i guess i know now, that this is why, me, being an ex-architect turned filmmaker, have never told engineers how do design engines, because i don't really comprehend the situation you guys are in, since i am not in your industry and that is why you are the engineers because it is your craft.

    In Architecture and i believe the same can be applied to engineering (please correct me because i could be wrong), We design by using the construct of the laws of design and in pricipality, within the design brief that is given to us. Yes i agree that, from this, we can find who has found the best way to manipulate the rules that are given to us, to find out who can create the best design. As where the design process itself is up to the individual's ingenuity, every designer still works with the same set of rules. Now, in the context of the global filmmaking industry, i believe that this is not the case as Malaysians are playing by different, and are handicapped by their, set of rules.

    As for the iranian censorship, i completely agree with you that their filmmakers have managed to make an impact (eventhough not huge compared to the hollywood machine) by making movies within their censorship guidelines. BUT this is the thing, their CENSORSHIP IS CONSISTENT! ours seems to be ad-hoc and new rules are created when certain parties feel that they are not shown in a good light in the cinemas. As in our learning of history, we will not be able to see the value of our independence from our invaders if we do not see the tyranny of the opressors.

    The other thing is, If you have never seen your family and sedara mara berkemban on a tangga menyikat rambut, does it mean it doesn't happen?. My father, has at one time put my mother in the hospital because of an argument, just because it happens in my family, do i have the right to say that it happens in yours?

    Raping your own child is not something that everyone does, is it? but does it actually happen in real life? does that happen among your family and friends? I'm sure they will say NO..

    Just because something is not in the news due to its un-sensationalic nature does it mean it doesn't happen? Reporters won't report "hari ini keluarga PAK ABU telah di jumpai dalam keadaan menyikat rambut sesama sendiri diatas tangga dalam keadaan berkemban!" in their breaking news, because it's not news worthy, but doe that mean it doesn't happen?

    Most of your frens in the kampung and in the bandar, accumulatively, do they make up at least 2 percent of the total malay population of malaysia?

    i also like the F1 example that you gave, in that new controls and restrictions might push the boundries of design to make things better. In F1, when that happens, it is good for the sport because everyone plays by the same rules. It is not however applicable when somebody says "why are malay movies not as good as foreign movies?". Personally, i would not mind censorship if EVERYONE plays by the same rules, ie the local and international filmmakers, then we will see how great the western cinema is as opposed to ours. Do you think that our American counterparts can make a movie with the same budget we have, which is usually even smaller than their catering budget?

    Just a few things to ponder.

    If you don't see it, does that mean it is not there?
    I think the quran will disagree with you on that bro, or i could be mistaken. Because i am merely an uneducated filmmaker and not an learned engineer.

    Personally, i believe that we have reached saturation point in this industry in terms of the content that we can make and it has personified itself in the downward trend of the cinema going audience. Except for stories like KL MENJERIT 1, which has proven that the local viewing audience is still there and proven that peole want to hear more thoght provoking stories. I believe KLM1 has done well because the subject matter is one that is quite recalcitrant; ie. street racing. It is against the law but nonetheless the public wants too see it, because of curiousity and the taboo-ness of the subject matter. Instead of skewing it into something to be glorified, BADAR squewed street racng to something that is to be avoided.

    People don't eat maggots and are jijik by it but do they flip the channel during FEAR FACTOR, some people might do it, but do you think a television network would buy the program it there was no demand for it?

    Let us regain our market share and promote our cultural sensitivities by being able to play with, if not the same, more relaxed rules of censorship. Personally, i am not even really that concerned about the no V,H,S ruling because it's the other stuff like bribery, honour, integrity, and looking at ourselves objectively as a people in Malaysia is what i am really interested in. So i say it again... RELAX OUR CENSORSHIP LAWS AND BE CONSISTENT WITH IT.

    Or what all we filmmakers say, " If the right part doesn't fit, let's see what other part is siutable for the actor."

    EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

    AFDLIN

    Saturday, October 29, 2005

    An enlightening journey. The week a paradigm shifted once again.


    Sitting in this hole in the wall i call a room in YOKOHAMA, with the tv blaring japanese commentary of a J league premiership match on one side and a baseball match playing on a field just outside my balcony, i think to myself....

    "It is confirmed!...."

    I (and i do believe, many of us are the same) don't know much about the world i live in.

    Day in day out, i live in a world that is safe and familiar, thinking that i am the master of my sensibilities and the commander of my life path. Being here in Japan and being a part of the experts of the content industry seminar, i have learnt how small my goal is and how limited my vision is in the context of the world film market.

    Our japanese counterparts are very much like us, except that they are in suits most of the time and their film and animation industry is a billion dollar industry . Although they have embraced many western sensibilities, they are to a large extent, still... ASIAN, wiith many inherent Asian values.

    A warrior nation, not unlike Malaysia, who have learnt (the hard way) that to capture the world, war and violence is not the way. They now know that to be a leader and gain international respect, you have to beat the Goliaths of the world at their most prized and most championed playing field... the free market!...

    or in my case, the global film market .

    In the Global film industry, we all know that asians, as a people, have bought into the western value system after years of idolising Hollywood, so much so that many of us are actually practising it's subcultures and have rooted it deep into our consiousness. And here we say we want to champion our asian values to the world, but my question is, How do we fight or stop this seemingly unstoppable hollywood machine?, An industry which seem to have endlessly deep pockets to propogate and instigate almost anything.

    Taking the japanese example, i think the only way we can beat them is by manipulating our diversely rich content ideas, this is because personally i think Hollywood has exhausted their content banks and are now churning CGI laden (excuse my French) crap!. Of late, they have been looking east, for ideas and this has become the best time for us to strike back due to their new found interest in our stories. BUT in order for us to be able to maximise our current leveraged position, we must be able to compete at their playing level. The Senarios, the anak mamis, the sembilus are all fine and great, for our film industry, but they would not be able to compete at the regional or world stage due to the localised nature of it's content. We need to come up with more brave and cutting edge content. We must maxime and embrace the richness of our socio and cultural heritage and display to the world, all of of the stories which make us who we are. MALAYSIANS. ASIANS.

    In the context of Malaysia, IN ORDER TO DO THIS, we need to RELAX OUR CENSORSHIP LAWS. WE HAVE TO RELAX OUR CENSORSHIP LAWS. We must create a conducive environment for our 'karyawan' or artists to create content freely.

    An example of this is while i was shooting BULI BALIK, i had to cut out a scene (at the last minute) because we had received a directive that we cannot show teachers in a bad light. The scene that was cut was a scene where the protagonist while in class screamed aloud when he was bullied by the antagonist. The teacher who had repeatedly warned his pupils not to make noise during his class had reacted in anger and threw the duster at the protagonist. Now, i am sure that many of us have experienced this at one point or another i our lives as this is a normal occurance at schools but to the powers that be, it is MENGHINA GURU-GURU or demeaning our teachers. My argument is, if it is demeaning to throw dusters at pupils, then showing the act in the film will further the cause and make people realise that they shouldn't be acting this way.

    As is pointed out by my wife, we do not have stories of men raping and abusing children, but this situation is rampant in our society as is reported to us daily in the newspapers. Does one feel like going out to rape a child after watching a movie about a child being raped? If it does, then you need to go for an immideate check-up and commit yourself to the insane asylum straight away. These psychopaths who do what they do, are already sick individuals who will act based on their own set of warped sense of values and it has nothing to do with what happens in our cinemas.

    Again i reiterate my point that recognising our problems, like our beloved Prime Minister did with his shakedown on the Malaysian cabinet (and UMNO for that matter) to address the issue of money politics and corruption, is a clear indication that we need to be more transparent in our daily dealings to be able to move forward as a nation and an excellent way to gain the people's trust at the same time.

    Our prime minister's game plan as i see it is, RECOGNISE then ADDRESS. ADDRESS then FIX. FIX and then SOLVE.

    This then backs my point on the relaxing of the censorship laws, as by our Prime Ministers example, we know that we cannot address a problem, if we do not recognise that there is a problem in the first place. He champions the cause of transparency so why shouldn't our cinema be able to reflect this?

    I think it is high time for our Government (whom i respect and love very much for all that they have done for the country and the film industry specifically) to free our content creators to CREATE our own unique take on these content, that so far has always received a foreign point of view. This will help our industry to formulate a Malaysian style of storytelling, which will then help in our country's Image branding as the content industry will be able to represent BRAND MALAYSIA to the world.

    In asia many film industries have managed to brand their style of film making to their respective countries and these style has even been cemented into the minds of our little ones. Everyone knows BRAND BOLLYWOOD, BRAND JAPAN (with it's Horror and Anime), BRAND HONGKONG (with it's Martial art and violent movies), BRAND KOREA (Action and Special Effects movies) and more recently BRAND THAILAND (with it's new and explosive young cinema which encompasses Action and Horror) and coming up BRAND INDONESIA (with it's also alternative and interesting young films which deals with teenage issues). So, where do we fit in, in this equation?

    In accordance to the point above, i must again strongly point out that there cannot and must not be DOUBLE STANDARDS when dealing with local and international content. Our censorship disallows local filmmakers to show V,H,S (violence, horror and sex) but they allow foreign films to have these elements.

    We cannot ask the Americans, the Thais, and the Japanese to stop making films with V,H,S because these are the core ingredients of their pop cinema, so what do we do? .... RELAX OUR CENSORSHIP LAWS so that we can present our own unique views and stories with V,H and even S in them. Let us claim back our local market share of film revenue from the Hollywood machine by doing content as good, if not better, as them. Like what has taken place in KOREA right now. A country, which in a span of just 5 years after the government had relaxed it's censorship laws and pumped in 160 million USD into their film industry, has gained a 60 percent market share over foreign films, including the Mega hollywood blockbusters. Being apart of this industry, i believe and know that we have excellent creators, with the capacity to create world class content and this would be a challenge that will see them rise to the higher echelons of film making.

    Examples of countries which have made an impact on the world film market are nations which have freed themselselves from the boundries of excessive censorship. These countries include KOREA and THAILAND, two countries which have taken the international filmmaking fraternity by storm and even the hollywood machine is snapping up their content for international distribution. The Thai film industry also took off when the censorship board relaxed it's regulations saving but one major rule against showing the royal family in whatever form. Fair enough i say. The most important thing is for the government to give us something more to create with.

    I emplore the government to TRUST that your people are now educated enough to tell right from wrong and trust that we can make the right choices in our lives.

    RELAX THE CENSORSHIP LAWS. Suppression creates interest and interest breeds recalcitrance and recalcitrance invites piracy/truancy to reign supreme.

    After my trip to Japan and my experiencing the inputs from all of the 14 Asian country content industry experts in this ASIAN CONTENT INDUSTRY SEMINAR, i KNOW now what i have to do with my career. My new mission in life. To help put MALAYSIA on the GLOBAL FILMMAKING map! A tall order but i believe an achieveable one.

    But in order to achieve this, i do believe the filmmaking fraternity in Malaysia needs more than just funding assistance from the government, but more importantly, the government allowing us to make more explosive and provokable content. Then our tagline of 'FILEM MALAYSIA DALAM ERA GLOBALISASI' has some semblance of meaning to it. Then we will not have our own people saying, "i don't watch malay movies!" and hear a new chant in the future, "I love Malaysian cinema!"

    Let us make the difference you want us to make on the international stage. We are ready to make the difference and i believe that your people will choose to embrace this change in a positive way. Let our content creators have the choice, Let the people have the choice and i am confident (based on the case study of other countries success stories) that you will not be dissapointed. What do you have to be afraid of gentlemen and ladies of the cabinet, WE HAVE CHOSEN YOU (the government) over and over again haven't we?

    EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

    Afdlin Shauki

    Tuesday, October 25, 2005

    BANZAIIIIII.... Ohaiyo from YOKOHAMA!!!! first day of Course in JAPAN.






    The Japanese people DON'T have the same phones as we do!!!!!! FRAKK!!! They are one step ahead of the world and they don't fren-fren the same telephony delivery system we have. A week without sms??... can i survive????

    Any way this is how i spent my first day in YOKOHAMA!!!..






















    Wonderful city and all but i miss my kids, MIA and ANAIS and their mama already.... nasib baik gua pun macam the japanese, FORWARD THINKING.... i put my kids photos on my blog so i can see them when i rindu...

    POWER TO THE PEOPLE

    AFDLIN