FLOWER in the Pocket is a poignant tale of two brothers making their way through a childhood devoid of parental love.

The boys, Mah Li Ahh (Lim Ming Wei) and Mah Li Ohm (Wong Zi Jiang) are amusingly self-sufficient; they feed, dress and take themselves to school each day.

Their father, Ah Sui, played by prolific local film maker James Lee, is a workaholic, mannequin maker who retreats into a world of his own.

The boys' mother is never mentioned.

The film is haunted by the powerful absence of the mother without being overly-sentimental or clichd.

The film's director, producer and writer, Liew Seng Tat (right ), says that the film title and theme was inspired by the tradition of wearing a flower in your pocket on Mother's Day. A red flower symbolises that one's mother is still alive while a white flower indicates that one's mother is no longer living.

"The children (in the movie) don't miss their mother because they never knew her", says Liew. "The flower is in their pocket, but they don't know what colour it is".

Parallel lives

Father and sons live seemingly parallel lives under the same roof. Their interactions largely occur at the dining table where Ah Sui leaves his sons food and money for the next day. The boys' antics are a joy to watch, as young Malaysian film maker Liew displays his trademark knack for subtle, dark comedy.

Father and sons only appear in scenes together for the first time, about halfway through the movie, when Ah Sui is summoned to school to meet his sons' headmaster. The boys often find themselves in trouble with their teachers, not so much for their disobedience but rather due to language barriers.

Despite everything, the boys clearly adore their father. While rushing out to school every morning, the two brothers always remember to cover their sleeping father with a blanket.

After school, Li Ahh and Li Ohm are left to entertain themselves. They roam the streets, adopt a puppy and play carefreely with their new friend, Ayu/Atan (Amira Nashusha).

An afternoon visit to Ayu's home hints at what's missing from the boys' lives. Ayu's mother, albeit single like their father, is warm, doting and extroverted. Ayu's mother feeds Li Ahh and Li Ohm generously - a far cry from the concoction of rice, water, raw egg and ketchup the boys cook up at home.

The simplicity and gentleness of the film's composition is a refreshing change to the way sad stories are often told. The Bangkok Post lauded Liew for his masterful storytelling: "Maybe the most civilised form of telling a story about troubled children is to show them without highlighting their troubles."

Flower in the Pocket recently picked up two awards at the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea: the New Currents Award and the KNN Audience Award.

Liew is uncertain about how Malaysian audiences will respond to his first feature-length film but hopes for the best.

The film, set for its Malaysian premier on the 20th of December, encountered several issues with the censorship board.

Sound of azan

The Malaysian censorship board has singled out four scenes deemed inappropriate and offensive, one of which is the scene where the two brothers are playing with their new puppy. If you strain your ears, you may be able to hear the Muslim call for prayer in the background.

Liew was ordered to remove the sound of the azan because a puppy appears in the same scene. During filming, Liew and his crew had not noticed the prayer calls. The sound of the azan cannot be removed without tampering with the dialogues. Therefore, Liew decided to pixellize the puppy instead.

"People (are) so sensitive about a small, cute puppy", laments Liew.

Flower in the Pocket airs in local cinemas for two weeks starting on Dec 20 at GSC Midvalley, GSC One Utama and GSC Gurney Plaza, Penang.

The film will also be making its rounds on the international film festival circuit in December, appearing at the 26th Vancouver International Film Festival and the 37th Rotterdam International Film Festival. No stranger to the scene, Liew's previous short films such as Daughters , Man in Love, Matahari and Bread Skin with Strawberry Jam have been shown at various film festivals.

Liew's flair for portraying emptiness with an elegant touch of playful humour makes this film a delightful cinematic experience, a real gem.

Link to trailer video