I’m Making It An Issue.

Sepet, the first film in Yasmin Ahmad’s beloved Orked Trilogy, has earned praise across Europe, Asia, and North America. The film became one of the most well known films ever made in Malaysia. Sepet tells the story of a young Malay schoolgirl who falls in love with a Chinese boy in the quiet and subtle way that only Yasmin Ahmad could.

Now, I’m going to start by saying something controversial, so brace yourself. When I first learned of the film… I hated it. I found it far too preachy in its discussion of racial politics and found the chemistry between the main leads to be lacking. With that I put what I then deemed as the insignificant Malaysian film out of my mind and went on with my life.

Skip ahead a couple of months and I learned that the film had been uploaded on Youtube for a limited time only. Not only was I going to be able to be able to watch the film (with all of the scenes that had been cut due to censorship laws included), I was going to be able to drop questions in the comment section that the cast and crew could potentially answer. Now as a student of film, who occasionally dreams of making movies, I was intrigued by the prospect of being able to engage in conversation with the cast and crew behind one of Malaysia’s best known film. So, I watched the film pondered on it for a moment before dropping a few questions into the comment sections.

Now because this is the tale of someone interacting on the Internet, I obviously received a reply. However, it was not from the account that uploaded the film, like I thought it to be, but rather by a random person. Said random read my comments and with the authority and righteousness that the anonymity of the internet could bring said: 

“Dont kill a movie arts…..its just a movie for entertaiment.. a dream…not an issue.”

As a person who studied film in my undergrad, all I could do was blink at the response. Don’t kill the movie arts, one Jonathan Lim ordered me. Don’t make a movie that was for entertainment an issue.

But how could I not? How could a movie that was so politically charged not be an issue?

How could a film that used the works of French West Indian political philosopher Frantz Fanon to set the tone for the film just be for entertainment?

How could a film that was directed by woman who responded to criticisms of said films lack of Islamic values, by adding more “un-Islamic” values in her future films, not be a woman who was intent on discussing issues?

How than could I be the all-powerful executioner of the “movie arts”?

The answer is, it can’t. So, to one Jonathan Lim, whoever you are, wherever you are, I say this: I watched Sepet and I’m making it an issue.

And if a simple question can kill the arts, then maybe they deserve to die.