'Sell Out' a movie gem for M'sia
Just as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was a runaway success at the Oscars, a Malaysian-made comedy has won awards across Europe and been hailed by international film critics.
Just as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was a runaway success at the Oscars, a Malaysian-made comedy has won awards across Europe and been hailed by international film critics.
‘Sell Out!’ has found its way into Italian cinemas and film festivals in Argentina, Canada, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand, among other countries.
Directed by Yeo Joon Han (
right
), it has won the Young Cinema Award for Alternative Vision at the Venice Film Festival and the Netpac Award at the Taipei Golden Horse Film festival.
It has been acclaimed by the New Straits Times as “a gem from Malaysia”; by the Bangkok Post as “a story of our time” and by the World Socialist website as “one of the 10 best films of 2008 not yet released in the USA”.
Yeo said his most anticipated screening will be the Malaysian premiere, as the movie was made for Malaysians.
It stars Jerrica Lai as arts show host Rafflesia Pong and Peter Davis as product designer Eric Tan. Together, they struggle between retaining their artistic integrity in a company that devalues originality and sells their soul for fame and luxury.
Others in the cast are playwright Kee Thuan Chye, Lim Teik Leong, Lee Shzu Hung, Wong Wai Hoong and Hannah Lo.
The real test
No stranger to the international movie scene, Yeo was the first Malaysian to nab a Venice Film Festival award (for best director) for his debut movie ‘Adults Only’ in 2006.
Born in Seremban, Yeo pursued a law degree at King’s College London but took an interest in film-making and produced a musical during his university days.
He has produced another short film entitled ‘Girl In A Soap Bubble’, but ‘Sell Out!’ is his first full-length feature movie.
Contacted by Malaysiakini, Yeo said the Malaysian premiere will be "the real test" for "Sell Out!"
"It is a very typical Malaysian movie, with Malaysian characters and scenarios that can only occur in Malaysia, so we were very surprised when the Italian audience took to it.
“In fact, the Italians laughed at the same things that we find funny. If anything, it shows that we share a common sense of humour. It’s amazing…the way globalisation works,” said Yeo.
The movie is expected to be hitting the local cinemas in May.
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