Making sense of the Malaysian Chinese experience

Recent circumstances, especially constant questions from my comrades from China, had caused me to evaluate my place as a Malaysian Chinese.

REUNION 我們都是這樣長大的 (1986), a Taiwanese film that haunted my memories since I was 12

When I was 12, I caught a film on TV.

The film follows the lives of a group of elementary school students and their teacher. I was initially interested because the children were my age, and the teacher in the film was dedicated, like the teacher I was having then, Teacher Thor (that's her family name, yeah, but we all call her "Tu Lao Shi", which means Teacher Thor in Chinese).

But I was slightly surprised when there were a few time skips in the film. The children suddenly became teenagers, and there was a class reunion with their teacher (that led to tragedy).

They then became adults, and had another reunion, this time for a wedding. I remember that one of the main boys was in love with the bride.

I didn't exactly finish the film, but a few of these scenes remained vivid until this very day (the teacher's fiancee sacrificing himself to save a drowning student during one of the class reunions, and also the aforementioned wedding). Perhaps the film was mesmerizing to me because it seemed to suggest what things are like in this journey of life, when I were to move to my teens, and then my adulthood.

When I returned to school the next day, I was surprised that my teacher, Tu Lao Shi, was talking excitedly about the film too, along with a few classmates of mine.

Yet I never knew what the film title was. It was possibly my very first exposure to a Taiwanese film.

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS postproduction adventures

No, the process of postproduction, so far, had not been an adventure.

But it's been a week since I came back to Tokyo, just so I could work on this film with utmost concentration, and solitude.

Turning 30

So, I turned 30 yesterday. A while ago, I looked at it with slight trepidation, I don't think I was prepared to say goodbye to my twenties just like that.

The final days of the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS shoot (Cameron Highlands, protesters etc.)

Today's the last day of my twenties. I'm just doing what I like best, going through the post-production of my film, RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS.

So, while I have to wait patiently for the tedious process of syncing the audio and video before I start editing, I'm just going to revisit the final days of the shoot.

Shooting RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS at the 140-year-old annual Johor Parade of the Gods

On February 20th, my RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS team and I headed off to Johor to shoot our ending. The reason why we were willing to endure a 4+ hour trip was because we wanted to catch the annual Johor "Parade of the Gods", a Chingay Parade that has been going for more than 140 years.

More photos from phase 2 of the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS shoot

Due to the episodic nature of the film, THE RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS film shoot is divided into three phases, with a rotating cast and crew.

Phase 1 happened in early January.

Phase 2 happened from February 5 to 14.

My team members had some pretty cool collection of photos from Phase 2.

School scenes from the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS film shoot

After 9 intense days, the second phase of RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS film shoot is finally over.

In my earlier post, I lashed out at my former high school Catholic High School for reneging on a deal to let me shoot within their premises... just a day before the shoot.

In the end, thankfully, we found a new school to shoot the film. But I remain disappointed with Catholic High's unprofessionalism.

Anyway, I will never forget this.

Other than that, these are the photos taken during the two days that I was shooting the school scenes.

WATCH: James Lee's new short THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW, starring Joseph Germani and Koe Yeet

Open letters to Catholic High School PJ

Last night. I wrote an open letter to Catholic High School.

This happened because, a few weeks after agreeing to let me shoot RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS within their premises, they suddenly reneged on their promise.

A day before the shoot.

When everything's already finalized.

When a Taiwanese actress had already flown here, to good old Malaysia, to do my film, within a limited schedule.

When a large group of actors have been scheduled to act in my school scenes.

When a large amount of money and time had been committed to the shoot.

Good old Catholic High School of Petaling Jaya, which I attended from 1997 to 2001, NONCHALANTLY went back on a deal that almost jeopardized the entire production and flushed all my money into the drain.

The reason given?

A carnival day that they conveniently did NOT tell us about until a day before the shoot. Very convenient.

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS Film Shoot: Day 5

After taking a one-month break, I finally returned to phase two of my RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS shoot. (to the uninitiated, this is my debut feature)

Because of the break, we decided to start it with a simpler shooting day to ease me, the cast and crew, back to the film.

Floating Sun @ Rotterdam International Film Festival 2014

The Rotterdam International Film Festival has just ended today with the announcement of its 3 Tiger Award winners, they are:

Location scouting at the beautiful Cameron Highlands

I was continuing the location scouting last week for my film RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS, which I'm continuing to shoot in early February after taking nearly a month break. (exciting!)

So, I headed off to Cameron Highlands, which, unbelievably, I've never visited before all my life!

Photos from a very brief Taipei trip (Jan 6-11, 2014)

I was in Taipei from the 6th to the 11th of January. It's been a week since then, but only now I'm digging through my 7D's CF card to see what photos have I taken. Actually it wasn't a lot, just a few from the famous SPOT - Taipei Film House that I went to with dad and sister on my first day there. (it's also where I discovered the local band LIGHT ENGINE, which I recommended in a previous post)

And even more RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS production stills...

It's been three days since I got back from Taipei.

I've returned to work immediately. Firstly by finishing the editing of Ming Jin's SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES (which underwent some reshoots during my time in Taiwan), I needed to do that so I can focus on RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS. (not much of a multi-tasker, me)

As you know, my film had gone through an intense 4-day shoot from the 2nd to the 5th of January, the second phase of the shoot is on February. (the film has an episodic structure) So I'm going through preparations for the upcoming shoot, finalizing the cast and location, fine-tuning the script etc.

Meanwhile, my friend Joe, an aspiring filmmaker who came to the shoot to help out and served as an invaluable production assistant, had posted even more production stills of RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS.

This time, I'm sharing only photos that have myself in it because I'm narcissistic.

Light Engine 光引擎

I was at the SPOT - Taipei Film House (a must-visit in Taipei for all film lovers) two days ago, when a song playing in the shop caught my attention.

More photos from the first 4 days of RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS shoot

I'm now in Taipei, trying to recuperate after spending four intense days of filming RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS (my feature debut).

Kong the cinematographer, Boon the production designer and Ming Jin the producer have started posting more photos from the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS shoot.

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS Film Shoot: Days 2 to 4

After four intense days, I have finally completed the first leg of the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS film shoot last night.

Unlike my earlier shoots, the constant development of smartphones and social media has made it possible for everyone in my team to take photos of the production, chronicling things that I myself wasn't able to see.

So once again I'm compiling Facebook posts from my producer, cast members and crew members from the last 3 days.

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS Film Shoot: Day 1

January 2nd, 2014.

I started shooting my debut feature film RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS. It's a surreal feeling, what seemed improbable just a few weeks ago became probable.

So excited that I immediately took a selfie of myself before the shoot started.

How I started 2014... a production meeting for my debut feature, RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS

January 1, 2014. Woke up, and headed straight to the mamak stall near my house for a production meeting.

It was for my film, RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS.