'Ola Bola' director Chiu delivers another heartwarming film this CNY

Born and raised in Batu Pahat, Johor, Chiu Keng Guan, 50, is one of the premier filmmakers in Malaysia making movies that transcend all demographics.

With his strong association with Astro and its film production arm Astro Shaw, he has made a huge impact on the local scene with “WooHoo!” (2010) the first in a trilogy of comedy films.

It was “The Journey” (2014) that gave him his first major recognition for his talent. It was a heartwarming multi-layered story of a father coming to terms with his daughter marrying a man of another race.

Chiu continued to cement his reputation with films such as the sports film “Ola Bola” and the father-son drama “On Your Mark”.

He studied graphic design and fine arts before going to the Beijing Film Academy.

Though he has made TV dramas, commercials, and corporate videos, Chiu is best known for his movies that are released during the Chinese New Year season.

This year, Chiu’s “Ma, I Love You” will open on Jan 22 in cinemas nationwide.

Recalling what got him into the entertainment industry, he told Malaysiakini that after Form Five, he attended a show and realised he liked using film as a medium to tell a story.

“I thought 30 seconds to one-minute commercials would be a good platform for my storytelling. So I started graphic design so that I could get into advertising and shoot some commercials,” Chiu said.

The Beijing Film Academy boasts famous alumni such as the internationally acclaimed Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers) and Chen Kaige (The Emperor and the Assassin).

“At that time, the directors from China were becoming famous for directing very good movies. They were very famous internationally. That was one of the reasons I wanted to go there for further studies,” he explained.

Asked about him sometimes being referred to as the director who makes Chinese New Year movies, Chiu said, ”I am okay with it.

“There have been different genres. Typical Chinese New Year movies are comedies that draw a lot of laughter.

“People can label my movies any way they like, but I just want to share my work and hope that people will enjoy it.”

Box office hits

His movies have been box office hits and his best work often touches on the relationship between family members.

“The Journey” was between a father and daughter, “On Your Mark” was about a father helping his blind son become a marathon runner, and his latest film “Ma, I Love You” is between an overbearing mother and her teenage daughter.

Chiu said these stories are all very near and dear to him.

“It is what I am good at. I am not good at making superhero movies or big action flicks. To me, family or relationship drama is closer to my heart.”

“Ola Bola” is one of the premier sports films in the country and he is not discounting the possibility of making another film like it. “I have some ideas, there might be another sports film, but it will revolve around a different sport. That will be coming soon.”

“Ma, I Love You”, which features local and international casts, stars Hazell Siow, Ong Ai Leng, Loh Lai Kan, Felina Cheah and Phei Yong.

The story revolves around an overbearing single mother, Mei Ling, and her daughter Qiqi. When Mei Ling discovers Qiqi’s secret plan to leave Malaysia for France, things become dicey.

“I realised that after three movies telling stories about father and daughter or father and son, it is soon time to tell a story about mother and daughter.

“That set me thinking about what kind of mother and what kind of daughter I would like to feature.

“So I came up with an idea about the daughter being an 18-year-old girl who just finished high school and is thinking about what she wants to do with her life. That was the beginning.

“So you have a mother who is a bit controlling in her relationship with her daughter. I also have a daughter who grows up thinking she does not want to be like her mum, but sometimes they end up being exactly like their mother,” Chiu said.

He said the mother can see herself in her daughter and vice versa. He thought the premise was funny and very relatable.

In the course of production, Chiu found out that some of his crew shared similar experiences to the characters in the film.

“Even the actress who plays the daughter previously faced a similar situation as the character she plays,” he explained.

Fastest movie he made

He spent seven to eight months on “Ma, I Love You” which is one of the fastest movies he ever made.

“It is tough for us because we did not want to compromise on the quality of the movie. We all tried very hard to make it happen.

“After the pandemic, I wanted to share a heartwarming story for this year’s Chinese New Year. Asians are very shy to share their love or say ‘I love you’ to their parents. I hope to deliver this message with the film.”

People cried while watching his previous family dramas, and he thinks they will too for “Ma, I Love You”.

“But it will be a happy cry. I believe that a happy cry is good for everyone. Sometimes you need to go to the cinema to release your feelings. With ‘Ma, I Love You’, you will laugh through your tears. It is a happy cry.”

Chiu related a story about a person who came up to him after watching ‘The Journey’.

“He told me how his relationship with his wife’s parents changed. He is a Caucasian man and he brought the entire family to watch the film. They now understand each other better.”

After “On Your Mark” was released, Chiu shared that “some who watched it called their fathers, with whom they had not spoken to in years“.

He is happy that his movies have touched people and hopes these movies encourage people to reach out to their family members.

“I hope that this film will do that too,” Chiu added.

Non-mainstream actors 

He tends to use non-mainstream actors in key roles in his films.

“Sometimes, you need certain kinds of actors to play certain kinds of characters. Popular actors might not be suitable for these roles.

“Frankie Lee Sai Peng, the actor who played the old uncle in ‘The Journey’ may not have been well known, but he was the right person for the role.“

Lee won the Best Actor award at the 27th Malaysia Film Festival and became the first actor of Chinese descent to receive the award as well as the oldest, being 75 years old at the time.

For “Ma, I Love You”, veteran actress Ong Ai Leng plays the mother and the actress playing the daughter is newcomer Hazell Siow.

Chiu said working with newcomers can sometimes be tough but “they have something pure and natural. I usually pick them based on the characters they play, so they essentially play themselves.”

This Chinese New Year, he will be travelling from cinema to cinema greeting fans who are watching his film.

“The first message I hope people will take with them when they watch my film is that, just like the character of the daughter, people will learn more about their parents and be able to express their love to their parents.

“The second message is to show that parents should have their own lives as well and they should also be doing something that they love.”

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