A CHILD with cerebral palsy and government-funded schools; the aged battling to save their 120-year-old village; miscarriage of justice and the repeal of the death penalty; Orang Asli rights; maternal care in rural areas… These films on human rights and social justice issues have been bravely made since 2003.
Making films that highlight “the unseen, unheard and untold”, to quote human rights organisation Pusat Komas, requires passion and grit. The non-government organisation held the first human rights film festival called Freedom Film Festival in 2003. Many took part to exchange views and explore relevant actions.
These “social justice films”, offering alternative and counter narratives, gave representation back to the marginalised and the disenfranchised groups and is now part of an 17-year-old annual festival, under the Freedom Film Network (FFN). For example, Anur, a child with cerebral palsy whose battle to attend a normal national school was depicted by her parents in the 2014 Anur Nak Sekolah.
Not only did the film show how local government-funded schools lacked the proper facilities and the teaching required for Anur, but also the possibilities abroad, as in China, that could be learnt and implemented.
But Ronasina, Anur's father, says nothing has changed for these children since then. He thinks political will for such change is still sorely needed. “How many overseas trips has the Education Ministry gone on since May 9, 2018, and has anyone visited special needs schools? No, they don't visit them,” says the dad whose two daughters with cerebral palsy have since passed on.
However, he believes the film did raise awareness about the governmental policy on children with special needs and their rights. “But a lot more policies must be put in place, and more work needs to be done.”
PROGRESS AND BREAKTHROUGHS
For Victor Chin and the 2015 film Memory As Resistance which dealt with the oppression and the plight of the poor and old villagers in Kg Hakka Mantin, doing a video documentary gave some sense of accomplishment in showing and telling their story.
The price of development, to quote a certain politician, is heart-breaking when you may lose your home and house, as was the case of the Kg Hakka Mantin folk in the film. Kong Sook Koon, a nonagenarian, is one of the residents who hopes to live out the rest of her life in her family home in Negri Sembilan, despite developers on all sides.
“The biggest impact was perhaps the villagers knowing, through the film, that the they are not alone and that they are now empowered to speak up and take action to reclaim their ancestral land rights in their village,” says Chin, the co-director, along with Chan Seong Foong.
The village is a heritage and historical point for Malaysians today, with day trips, small festivals of food and music, walking and bicycling tours.
FFF co-director Anna Har says there has been some progress and breakthroughs in getting “social justice” films a wider audience. Welcome moves include Har being appointed to the board of advisors of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).
“Since then there's been direct engagement and exposure to the Freedom Film Network and social films. In fact, many Finas board members and advisors attended the recent FFF 2019.
“We have also had open and positive engagements with the LPF/ censorship board. Some of our film workshops and talks have been held at Finas' venue and in doing so, we have managed to extend our reach beyond our regular audiences and filmmakers. Meanwhile, FFN is also working with our filmmakers to prepare them to produce with a mass audience in mind.”
Har feels the FFF is becoming a more effective voice for the people, with attendance increased significantly in 2018 and 2019. “It means the films and issues are reaching out to more people. What we are also seeing is that our films can be very effective tools to lobby lawmakers and make them aware of a particular issue/ marginalised community.
“One such example is The Story Of Kam Agong where the filmmakers had a fruitful meeting with the Health Minister to highlight the issue of inadequate maternal healthcare in the interiors of Sarawak, which subsequently led to a commitment by the minister to speed up the building of a properly equipped and adequately staffed hospital in Lawas.
“Waiting For Time/ Menunggu Masa on the death penalty was also widely screened, seen and referred to by NGOs working on repealing the death penalty, the media, Bar Council, MPs and the Law Ministry itself. A copy of the film was submitted together with the letter to the Sultan requesting for a royal pardon for Mainthan (Arumugam), whom the film featured, who is currently on death row.
“The case has been brought to the attention of parties who are involved or working on the campaign against the death penalty. It was subsequently featured in a documentary on the death penalty in Malaysia by AlJazeera,” says Har.
MORE PUBLIC DISCOURSE NEEDED
But these “social justice” shorties must wait to see screening on government-owned television channels.
“Censorship laws and regulations haven't changed so what was deemed sensitive is still sensitive and wouldn't pass the LPF filter without it being censored or banned. Many films which we thought could easily get aired, surprisingly, are still treated with unease and looked upon as a ‘risky’ topic. Waiting For Time/ Menunggu Masa needs a lot more public discourse rather than Parliamentary discourse,” says Har.
“Our screenings are always monitored by Special Branch officers whose scope of work remains the same, I presume.
This year, we were visited by enforcement officers from KDN who wanted to check if we were indeed abiding by the law.”
She counts the screening of two “May 13” themed stories without any trouble at the recent FFF2019 as among FFF’s milestones. “The post-screening discussions were extremely positive and it affirms that Malaysians are ready and want to talk about this suppressed issue in a peaceful, honest and open manner that could help lead the way to a reconciliatory process.
“It shows that personal narratives (in films) and carefully facilitated discussions could be a very effective way for Malaysians to bridge the gap, overcome prejudice we may have of one another and see each other as human beings first.”
Har says the FFN would like to see the government TV channels modelled after PBS in the US or BBC in the UK, “where a film is not just for entertainment but for community education or social good. And I don't mean, producing boring, didactic kind of content. It should be content that Malaysians consider independent or trustworthy and of the highest professional standards.
“Public or taxpayers’ money should be used to produce content that brings social value to our society — to make them more aware, more critical, and more responsive citizens, and not just purely for entertainment,” she adds.
The film directors who won FFF grants to make their shortie are grateful for FFN and Pusat Komas' help. For Jules Rahman Ong, who directed the 2005 Alice Lives Here, FFF was his springboard to documentary film-making.
The 20-minute shortie is about how the Broga people fought the building of a RM1.5 billion municipal waste incinerator in their Semenyih land, as told through the eyes of Alice Lee, a Broga villager. The incinerator project was scrapped in 2007.
In light of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Pahang, Ong who is now a freelance producer-director, says: “For the government, looks like it is still profit over health and environment. But people are more aware of their rights, and how to fight back.
“FFF was the training ground for many budding filmmakers, and many have gone on to do amazing things. It gets better and better, despite its humble beginnings.”
FFF 2019
Where & When
Miri, Nov 2, Champs Education Miri
Kuching, Nov 3, Lot 10 Hotel
Singapore, Nov 2-3, The Projector
George Town, Nov 9-10, Penang Youth Centre
Muar, Nov 16, Art Space
Johor Baru, Nov 17, BlackRoom Theatre
Ipoh, Nov 23, Happy Learning
Kota Kinabalu, Nov 23-24, MARS, Foh Sang
Visit www.freedomfilm.my for more details