ヤスミンさん

Caught this 2017 film with W the other day. When I saw it on the AFA listing I’d wanted to watch it, despite not knowing anything about Yasmin Ahmad at that point in time (yes, I am the opposite of film buff, I am film flabby), because it involved Yukisada Isao, director of Crying Out Love in the Center of the World. Hey, blast from the past, why not?

Turns out this documentary is one of following: the director (Edmund Yeo) follows the director and writer of Pigeon (Yukisada Isao) who follows the influence of Yasmin Ahmad (through her work and through actress Sharifah Amani) in his project. And we the audience follow the threads of fate that link them, directors, actors, stories, for a decade, for 70 minutes.

There is beauty in its simplicity. I liked how authentic everyone seemed. Sharifah Amani’s candidness and confidence. The warmth of the interviews. The joy of storytelling. I guess that’s what’s being documented here, the joy of storytelling. The director shares this joy through telling the stories of these storytellers, and their muses.

These days I walk into theatres without knowing much/anything about what I’m about to watch. I surrender to the process. It’s good practice.

And now I have to go (re)watch all the Petronas ads, and add to the ever-growing list of films I want to watch…

—
Funnily, the moment Yukisada said はと(hato, meaning pigeon) an image of Hatoful Boyfriend popped into my scumbag brain. Grr. Passively picking Japanese up via pop culture is tough, people.