Sepet
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| Sepet | |
|---|---|
 Sepet film poster |
|
| Directed by | Yasmin Ahmad |
| Produced by | Rosnah Kassim Elyna Shukri |
| Written by | Yasmin Ahmad |
| Starring | Choo Seong Ng Sharifah Amani Linus Chung Mei Ling Tan Ida Nerina Harith Iskander Adibah Nor Kar Hoong Thor |
| Cinematography | Low Keong |
| Editing by | Affandi Jamaludin |
| Release date(s) | February 24, 2005 |
| Running time | 104 min. |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| Language | English Malay Cantonese Hokkien Mandarin |
| Followed by | Gubra (2006) |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
Sepet is a 2004 Malaysian romantic comedy drama film set in Ipoh, Malaysia. Directed by Yasmin Ahmad, it tells a tale of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl. Sepet is a Malay word which, in this context, refers to the 'slit eyes' of the Chinese.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
19-year old Ah Loong is in charge of a stall selling pirated VCDs. Contrary to the stereotype of his social standing, Ah Loong, starring Ng Choo Seong, is an incurable romantic with an unlikely hobby - he loves to read and write poetry. Quite content to carry on being the Romeo of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes a sudden turn one day when a Malay schoolgirl, Orked, arrives at his stall. Love blossoms between Orked and Ah Loong, although there are social and racial pressures that stand in their way. In the end, Ah Loong is involved in a motor vehicle accident while Orked is going to England to pursue her studies. It is not clear if he lived or died until the sequel, Gubra showed that Jason really did died. After the credits finish rolling however, Orked is shown wearing a wedding ring sleeping beside Jason, who also has a wedding ring. In Mukhsin, Jason and the adult Orked was shown to be living together. However, the adult Orked was never called by her name as the young Orked is in the scene.
[edit] Awards
18th Tokyo International Film Festival 2005
- Best Asian Film Award
Ninth Malaysian Video Awards
- Best Film
27th Creteil International Women Directors Festival in France
- Best Film
18th Malaysian Film Festival
- Best Film
- Best Original Screenplay (Yasmin Ahmad)
- Best Poster
- Best Supporting Actress (Ida Nerina)
- Most Promising Actor (Choo Seong Ng)
- Most Promising Actress (Sharifah Amani)
Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards
- Best Film
Anugerah Era 2005
- Best Film
[edit] Sequel
A sequel to Sepet, called Gubra, was filmed in Ipoh, Malaysia and released in 2006. There is a planned prequel to both Sepet and Gubra, titled Mukhsin which will be released in Asian screens soon and has already made its way to the Tokyo Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Asian Film.
[edit] Controversy
At first, this movie was banned because of four reasons:
- There's a scene where the father and the mother were dancing in their sarongs (a large sheet of fabric, often wrapped around the waist (for men) and above the chest (for women)).
- A scene where the father and the mother were tickling each other in bed after having sex.
- There's also a scene where the family comb each other's hair, where the women only wear sarongs.
- Ah Loong didn't convert to Islam at the end despite his courtship with Orked who is a Muslim.
Fortunately, director Yasmin Ahmad gained enough support from the government, and finally, the movie was shown in Malaysian cinemas, with 9 cuts on the movie.
