Barbarian Invasion: A tale of motherhood with a martial arts twist

After a 10-year hiatus from directing, Tan Chui Mui has returned with a self-reflective martial arts film called ‘Barbarian Invasion’.

The film follows the protagonist Moon Lee, played by Tan herself, an actress who wants to return to the limelight after experiencing motherhood and divorce.

To rebuild her confidence, she resolves to play the lead in a martial arts movie, but the director chooses to cast her former husband, played by Bront Palarae, in that role instead.

The movie starts off by showing Lee barely coping with her demanding son while travelling and working, which represents Tan’s main message for the film.

“Every birth of a child is an invasion of barbarians to our civilisation,” the director told Malaysiakini as she explained the meaning behind the film’s title.

“Each baby comes into the world with new blood and fresh eyes. They see the world from very different perspectives, before getting limited by civilisation.”

Combating problems with martial arts

One of the highlights of the ‘Barbarian Invasion’ is the use of martial arts, an important element of the story.

The story shows Lee’s determination to win the leading role, going as far as to train under martial arts sifu Master Loh, played by James Lee, through rigorous physical training.

At the same time, she has to handle the mental strains of raising her child and finding the identity she believed she had lost during her hiatus.

Martial arts has been a key interest in the filmmaker’s childhood. Growing up in Kampung Sungai Ular, a small fishing village in Pahang, she watched her father spar with his friend in chest-deep waters to try out different martial arts.

“The biggest shock I had when I became a mother was the loss of control over my own body,” said Tan, who trained in Muay Thai and Jiu-jitsu prior to her pregnancy.

She explained that she found it difficult to find her groove again but felt a sense of empowerment once she got back on her feet, which she wanted to showcase in the story.

Tan also grew up watching martial arts flicks, especially those of Hong Kong actress Moon Lee, whom Tan later named as her protagonist.

A triple-threat return

‘Barbarian Invasion’ won the Jury Grand Prix at the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) Golden Goblet Award Ceremony in June 2021.

The SIFF juries hailed the film as pitch-perfect and remarked on Tan’s ability to take a familiar genre and turn it into an action-packed work of art.

Tan, who is considered one of the pioneers of Malaysian new-wave cinema, started the project with the help of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited and Heaven Pictures.

“I first revealed the project in Shanghai back in 2019. I began writing the script in June of that year in Phuket, Thailand, and completed the first draft in January 2020 in Cebu, Philippines,” Tan said.

Producer Woo Ming Jin and actor Peter Teo, who also acted in the film as the director, contributed to script writing.

‘Barbarian Invasion’ is a clear reflection of Tan’s personal life, having gone through similar trials as Lee in parenthood, divorce, and a career hiatus.

“But the movie is not just about parenting, it’s about finding yourself. It’s not about your name, your job, your relationship, it’s about who you are,” said the director.

In 2004, she founded Da Huang Pictures with Liew Seng Tat, James Lee and Amir Muhammad. With assistance from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas), she also launched the Young Filmmakers Workshop under Next New Wave in 2015.

The movie was originally released in June 2021 at international film festivals but was delayed from public screening due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Tan’s ‘Barbarian Invasion’ began screening yesterday (Nov 24) at all local cinemas.

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