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Singaporean movie Fundamentally Happy banned in Malaysia; directors getting advice on appeal

Malaysia has banned Singaporean film, Fundamentally Happy, from cinemas due to cultural sensitivities.

The film-makers behind Fundamentally Unhappy has described the film as an "unflinching look at the consequences of abuse". (Photo: Fundamentally Happy Facebook)

The film-makers behind Fundamentally Unhappy has described the film as an "unflinching look at the consequences of abuse". (Photo: Fundamentally Happy Facebook)

SINGAPORE — Malaysia has banned Singaporean film, Fundamentally Happy, from cinemas due to cultural sensitivities.

The film made last year was based on a 2006 play by The Necessary Stage’s Haresh Sharma and Alvin Tan, and it  focuses on a friendly reunion between a young Chinese man and a Malay woman in her 40s that takes a turn after a secret surfaces. Its film-makers, Tan Bee Thiam and Lei Yuan Bin from 13 Little Pictures, have described it as “an unflinching look at the consequences of abuse”.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (Oct 20), the team behind Fundamentally Happy said that they are deeply disappointed by the decision of Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (LPF). LPF has said that Fundamentally Happy contains “elements that may be sensitive to the feelings of Malaysian Malays and may be interpreted by Malaysian Malays as an attempt to reflect the community’s attitude towards those who abuse the weak to fulfil their desires”. Lei told TODAY that they received the news from their Malaysian film-makers last weekend. 

The directors are considering an appeal and are currently getting advice on this as they are unfamiliar with the processes in Malaysia.

But even before this news was announced, Lei revealed that response to Fundamentally Happy's next screening is at *Scape on Nov 5 has been "astounding", and organisers are arranging for additional screenings on Nov 6. Tickets are already available for booking on Peatix. 

The play of the same name was staged in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 at The Actor’s Studio, without cuts, advisory or rating to critical success.

Fundamentally Happy’s playwright Sharma told TODAY he was not surprised by the ban. “Authorities there (in Malaysia) have their own levels of sensitivity just like the authorities here also have their own levels of sensitivity. And I guess the film touched a raw nerve in some way,” he said, adding that the difference in treatment between the film and the play is probably down to audience reach.  “Films reach out to a wider audience or have the potential to reach out to a wider audience. So it can have the same content but have different criteria for judging.”

But Sharma is optimistic about the future of the film. “One thing good about film, unlike theatre, it can have a longer shelf life because at any time it can gain momentum and reach out to new audiences,” he said. “I don’t see this as the end—that there’s not going to be ever a performance in Malaysia—but that maybe things might change in the future."

Fundamentally Happy will also competing at the Hanoi International Film Festival next month from Nov 1 to 5. 

 

 

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