How Kurosawa and punk rock shaped Finas chairperson

MALAYSIANSKINI | National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) chairperson Kamil Othman is a man on a mission.

The former radio DJ with a background in finance may be 68 now but he is enjoying another stint at Finas, where he had previously served as CEO from 2014 to 2016.

Known for the groundbreaking Alternative Rock Show on Time Highway Radio back in the 1990s, Kamil has an endless repertoire of stories dating back to his time in the UK where he studied for most of the 1970s.

Still an incorrigible music and movie buff, he is a strong believer that Malaysian filmmakers must be given the creative space to tell their stories.

Kamil said that when he returned to Finas last year, he was given a task – to recalibrate an organisation that was founded on June 1, 1981, and help move it into the modern era.

“We are looking at the act itself that gave birth to Finas and see if it is ready to address the challenges of the new era.

“Let’s move out of the traditional ways of developing film. I think nowadays we have some small projects that are either ad hoc or organic and others that go through the route of securing funding by presenting their proposals.

“Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he wanted it to be re-calibrated, because Finas was founded in an era where you get the funding for production, distribution and the exhibition. The intention was to nurture and facilitate the development of the Malaysian film industry.

“Now because of digital technology, just like how everyone can fly thanks to AirAsia, now thanks to digital technology, everybody can make a film,” he said.

Taking Malaysian movies overseas

Kamil also enjoyed a lengthy stint in the upper echelons of Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and served as creative industry adviser to the Communications and Multimedia Ministry from January 2017 to August 2018.

“Content is within reach of everybody, so the question now is – is Finas ready to bridge the two realities? In the early years, it was a business thing, to create entrepreneurs and industry.

"Now we have to adjust, especially if we want to take our films international. We need to recalibrate Finas for export, looking at the act, policies and programmes.

“In the early days of Malay movie making, like the P Ramlee films, they were just Malay versions of Indian movies.

“Now, we have to think about taking our films overseas, whether it’s English or with an ethnic market like Chinese or Kadazan or Tamil,” added Kamil, who cited the influence of influential Japanese director Akiro Kurosawa.

Recently, Malaysians in the movie industry have enjoyed great success with Michelle Yeoh winning the 2022 Academy Award for Best Actress in the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” while scriptwriter Adele Lim was behind the movies “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Raya and the Last Dragon”.

There has also been recognition for the movie “Tiger Stripes”, which became the first Malaysian film to win the grand prize for Best Feature at the Cannes Film Festival.

Yet the coming-of-age film about an adolescent girl was so heavily censored for the local market that director Amanda Nell Eu said its essence had been removed.

Similarly, movies like “Mentega Terbang”, “Pulau” and “Pendatang” all managed to garner attention and acclaim yet had to battle controversy and censorship.

Overcoming censorship

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail launched new guidelines for film censorship, saying they will ensure that movies screened in the country do not dispute matters enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Saifuddin said the new guidelines focus on three key elements - public order and security, religion, as well as morality and sociocultural perspectives.

On the guidelines, Kamil said, “Our take is generally that when it comes to making films, the sky is the limit. We do not exercise control over the making.

“Unfortunately, Malaysia has its own rules and political realities, and that’s why we are seeing this phenomenon of locally made movies doing well overseas with a less censored version.

“I hasten to add that we are not the censorship board, which comes under the Home Ministry. If we see a problem with a film that we are financing, we try and talk it through.”

He suggested that when Malaysians make movies outside of the country, they can be a bit more creative.

“’Abang Adik’ is a good example, a multi-lingual film about undocumented orphans in Malaysia, but the money and conception came from Taiwan and it did very well. I am impressed by ‘Tiger Stripes’ which got its funding from seven countries,” said Kamil.

He suggested that whenever a filmmaker says censorship is curtailing their creativity, they are going for something that is visually dramatic.

“In Malaysia, right now, if censorship was lifted, would we have bad language and nude scenes? To me, that shouldn’t be it. Not to be a prude, but in China censorship is simple - all must be family films.

“I would like our filmmakers to learn the subtle approach of getting their story and message across,” he added.

Creative approaches

Kamil said Finas is looking for a Malaysian story for the world and themes that can connect with audiences.

“’Sheriff’ is mainstream but has all the blockbuster qualities like a great car chase scene.

“’Mat Kilau’ is a very unique situation. Maybe it came out at the right place and right time. We told the filmmakers that if ‘Mat Kilau’ had more research, it could have attracted an anti-colonial audience around the world.

“But it was quite obvious that it was made for the domestic market to give pride to Malay warriors,” said Kamil, who also made a call for “Pendatang” to be shown in Malaysian schools.

“Audience literacy for films is a challenge. If you close down art claiming it will touch on 3R sensitivity, then you will never engage each other and heal.

“We are hoping that art makes a difference. As a form of latent messaging, cinema is still the best. Art has a role to play to defuse the situation. You can make a film about May 13, but if you want to make it about who’s right and who’s wrong, it may not work,” he added.

On that note, Kamil lamented the ban on cinemas in the PAS-ruled state of Kelantan.

“Netflix has filled in the blanks. We can see the effect of Covid-19, that people are watching in different ways and that this may have an effect of killing off traditional cinemas.

“We really need to nurture people who want to make interesting movies. I believe we are not really channelling the funds to the right filmmakers,” he said.

The Taiping boy reminisces

Born in 1955, Kamil’s life has been shaped by his love for music, movies and literature.

He suggested that moviemakers could source Malaysian writers like Samad Ismail, A Samad Said, Usman Awang and Khoo Kay Khim who all have written books that can make us think differently and yet capture the Malaysian experience.

“Where in the education system does it tell you that it’s ok to disagree nowadays? In the 1960s, when I went to school that was taught. When we go to each other’s houses, we go with trust and respect. I was a confident Muslim, not paranoid.

“Our prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, led a Malaya that was in transition, but we were all one,” he recalled.

He studied in the UK from 1973 to 1981, taking his A-levels in Brighton and eventually qualifying from Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford. He recalls being into “zany music” like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, but was still taken aback when punk rock was born.

“I grew up with my parents' records. At first country like Patsy Cline, then suddenly Miles Davis and John Coltrane’s jazz. I went through a blues phase with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Blind Willie McTell.

“When I discovered Frank Zappa in 1969 from the ‘Hots Rats’ album, everything made sense. I was also very into the progressive scene with bands like Faust.

“Maybe what’s missing in Malaysia is that not many are exposed to all these musical adventures. I believe that if you like music and cinema, you tend to have an open attitude on races and culture,” he said.

According to Kamil, one of the funny things about being in London at the height of punk was that it seemed very ordinary.

“When I went to England, it was still stadium rock. I got to see Mott The Hopple and would you believe the support band was Queen? Even the brilliant PFM from Italy and Curved Air with Sonja Kristina. I got to see Genesis with Peter Gabriel as the singer. Then punk came along and subdued it.

“In 1976, I was with two Malay friends and we saw a large crowd queuing up outside the 101 club. I didn’t know it but it was the Sex Pistols and Siouxsie and the Banshees with her torn stockings! Suddenly punk was born. There was The Ramones, The Runaways, I remember going to a pub in Crawley pub to see The Cure, which was just starting!

“But by the time I left the UK in 1981, punk had died down and it was the new wave of heavy metal. It was funny because music was a big part of your identity – your community might be hippies, punks or metalheads. I loved it all,” he said.

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