RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS 破裂するドリアンの河の記憶 red carpet and world premiere @ Tokyo International Film Festival

I finally got back from Tokyo.

The Tokyo International Film Festival in the past 10 days had been absolutely emotional, and inspiring. I will now take the time to update the blog with Facebook posts (not just mine, but others too) of the wondrous journey RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS had taken during its world premiere in this grand, prestigious festival. It all felt like a dream.

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS trailer 【榴梿忘返】 预告片

This is the trailer of RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS. 破裂するドリアンの河の記憶

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS media coverage

Ever since the announcement of its nomination in the Main Competition section of Tokyo International Film Festival late last month, the local media had been very generous with their coverage of RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS. For that, I am very grateful.

I was on TV to talk about RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS (Agenda Awani)

A week from now, I'll be flying off to Tokyo for the Tokyo Film Festival, where RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS will be making its world premiere.

Two weeks ago, before going off to Busan, I was on Agenda Awani to talk about my film. It was a great chat with host Kamarul Bahrin Haron. Thanks for having me there, Astro Awani.

Breast Cancer Awareness video I made

Two weeks ago, I posted about shooting a Breast Cancer Awareness video for Pink October, it featured the interviews with breast cancer survivors like my friend Claire Khoo, and family or friends of those who were touched by breast cancer.

The video was uploaded a couple of days ago while I was in Busan. Please please share this around.

THE SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES at Busan International Film Festival 2014

Just got back from Busan.

Ming Jin's new film SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES, which I produced, co-wrote and edited, had its world premiere at the Busan Film Fest.

I was there from Oct 5 to Oct 10.

RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS in Tokyo International Film Fest main competition

The Tokyo International Film Festival announced its line-up yesterday. So it's official, RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS is going to the main competition section. (In fact, I already received the messages from friends at the moment of the press conference, the age of social media is awesome. And so fast!)

Photos from a breast cancer awareness video shoot

I was in Bangkok doing the post-production for RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS when I saw an old acquaintance of mine, Claire Khoo, asking on Facebook whether anyone would be able to help her do a video about breast cancer awareness.

Claire, of course, was known as Minishorts back in the day and had a very popular blog. I've even done some guest posts for her. Those were almost 9 years ago. An eternity.

She is a breast cancer survivor too.

I decided to join the cause. Assembled a team to do a video where breast cancer survivors like Claire and many others, along with their friends and family, could share their stories. There are those who didn't survive, so their family members could tell their stories too.

Promotional short film for GST Expo 'IN TIME OF TEST'

Joseph Germani staring at the sun, contemplating.

Sarah Lian contemplates too.

Last month, I wrote about doing a promotional short film for October's GST Expo.

The short film "In Time of Test", which stars popular Youtuber Joseph Germani and renowned TV personality Sarah Lian, was uploaded last week. You can watch it here.

Finishing up the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS post-production in Bangkok

Teacher Lim (Zhu Zhi-Ying) and her merry band of student protesters

I have spent the last 12 days in Bangkok for the post-production of both films, Woo Ming Jin's SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES (which I produced and co-wrote) and RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS (which I directed), at White Light Post.

I wrote about the experience with SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES here.

Once Ming Jin left, they started work on RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS.

10 books that stayed with me in some way

Posted this on Facebook a few days ago.

Post by Edmund Yeo.

(So I will post it here too, but with amendments. And links to previous blog posts related to these books. To help me remember.)

15 movies that will always stay with me

Recently, there had been a couple of memes spreading around on Facebook where people challenge one another to name 15 films that will always stay with them, within 15 minutes. (other iterations of this meme include literature, video games etc. which I will post some other time)

For now, I will elaborate upon the 15 films that I named off the top of my head.

Finishing up the SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES post-production in Bangkok

I came to Bangkok almost a week ago to finish up the post-production for both SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES (which I produced, co-wrote and edited) and RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS (which I directed).

Woo Ming Jin's SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES (I co-wrote and produced) is going to Busan International Film Festival 2014

The Busan International Film Fest lineup came out yesterday. So I can announce it now. Woo Ming Jin's new film SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES, which I co-wrote and produced (and, of course, edited) will be having its world premiere there. Quite an honour, being one of the three Malaysian films there. The others being Liew Seng Tat's LELAKI HARAPAN DUNIA (which just premiered in Locarno and will go to Toronto in a few days) and Bradley Liew's (no relation) short film XING.

就在这里跟大家分享好消息吧！

由本地导演胡明进执导， 杨毅恒（我）编剧／制片，本资深演员钟国强，联同李承运Berg Lee、陈美君MayJune Tan、林佩琦Emily Lim Pey Chi、丁仕匀JiYun Teng、叶良财Steve Yap主演的剧情片 Second Life of Thieves《偷.情》 成功入围第19届釜山影展“亚洲电影之窗”( A Window on Asian Cinema)观摩单元。

电影讲述村长陈叔接连遭遇妻子和老友赖叔忽然失踪、村里外劳离奇死亡的连串打击，在与赖叔女儿Sandy一同追查至亲下落的同时，却揭露了彼此埋藏已久的伤疤，被迫重新省思什么是爱与悔……

Photos from a promo short film I was shooting

Two weeks ago, I got a sudden phone call from an old high schoolmate (primary school as well), asking me to help shoot a little promotional short film for an event his company is organizing in October.

I swiftly put together the production, the short film stars Joseph Germani and Sarah Lian and it's tentatively titled THE WAY OF THE FUTURE.

Post by Edmund Yeo.

"... And to all Malaysians, welcome home."

Today is national mourning day for the victims of the ill-fated MH17. Their remains have been brought back to Malaysia. The country is united in grief.

A friend of mine, Shuba, was on the plane, with her husband and her young daughter. Back in May, when we ended our last conversation on Facebook, we spoke about meeting up for coffee after her return from her Europe trip (and I from Tokyo).

Rest in peace, Robin Williams

I woke up this morning at 8am and realized that my mother has forwarded the news of Robin Williams' death to my phone.

Suffering from severe depression, he had taken his own life.

Goldfrapp's TALES OF US short films

Recently, I was asked to make a music video.

Although nothing's really confirmed, I had been watching quite a number of other music videos for inspiration.

Remembering the greatness of Philip Seymour Hoffman

It's still quite saddening to remember that Philip Seymour Hoffman had died earlier this year in February.

Post by Edmund Yeo.

Guardians of the Galaxy

(Wrote my thoughts on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY on Facebook just now, I'll post it here too, with slight revisions)

The Kirishima Thing (桐島部活やめるってよ)

Once in a while, when I have witnessed something brilliant, I need to post it on this blog just to help myself remember.

THE KIRISHIMA THING (桐島部活やめるってよ) is a film that I've been curious about for a rather long time. Last year, my professor, Ando-sensei, told me that this was one of his favourite Japanese films of the year. It ended up winning both the Best Director and Best Film awards at the Japan Academy Awards.

After missing its screening at last September's Japanese Film Festival (a festival for Japanese films had been held annually in Malaysia for the past decade), I finally got to watch the film yesterday.

反堕胎短片 (a list of anti-abortion short films to cheer myself up...?)

(This post will be in Chinese. Many friends of mine in the industry had been making anti-abortion short films in the last few weeks for a competition, I'm sharing some of their works, but there are no English subtitles. Though I think some films below CAN be watched without subtitles...)

最近， 好多电影圈里的朋友们都参与了这个以“选择； 生命”为主题的华语微电影比赛， 主要都是拍一些反堕胎的短片。

以下的，都是他们的作品！

Lost a friend on MH17

Yesterday, a Malaysian Airlines plane crashed in Ukraine. It was shot by a missile.

298 people were killed.

Just now, I found out that I someone I know was actually on the plane.

Her full name was Shubashini Jeyaratnam, but I knew her only as Shuba (Shuba Jaya was her stage name). She was on the plane with her husband Paul and her baby daughter Kaela.

My memories of World Cup matches

The World Cup finals ended two days ago, and I finally got a good night's sleep. I can finally say goodbye to the days when I have to wake up at 4am with dad to catch a match, and go back to my normal routine (... of sleeping at 4am instead)

After a nice World Cup-less night of sleep, I woke up and read some articles on Grantland (it's one of my favourite daily reads these days). Ever since my mom discontinued subscription to The Star newspapers earlier this year, the internet became my replacement for "things to read while having breakfast", after all, it's hard to kick off a routine that I had for more than twenty years.

What caught my eye today was Brian Phillips' article, Full Time: Fading Images of the World Cup, which has one of the most beautiful paragraphs ever about sports-watching.

Watching sports is, among other things, a special way of experiencing time. Sport is like music or fiction or film in that, for a predetermined duration, it asks you to give it control over your emotions, to feel what it makes you feel. Unlike (most) forms of art, though, a game has no foreordained plan or plot or intention. The rules of a game impose a certain kind of order, but it’s different from the order of an artwork. A movie knows where it wants to take you; no one can say in advance where a game will go. All of its beauty, ugliness, boredom, and excitement, all of its rage and sadness emerge spontaneously out of the players’ competing desires to win. For however long the clock runs, your feelings are at the mercy of chance. This happens and then this happens and then this happens. You’re experiencing, in a contained and intensified way, something like the everyday movement of life.

Post by Edmund Yeo.

I guess this is one of the main reasons I have been following the NBA for more than two decades, the relationship with time is apparent, watching players arrive, grow and then retire, being replaced by other younger players, it's a cycle that is both beautiful and horrifying, just like life. As a child, these NBA players are larger-than-life Greek gods, performing superheroic feats in a battle for eternal glory, as I grow older, I started noticing that the players are becoming younger and younger, and players I have watched in my teens are gone, one by one, some disappearing, some becoming coaches, I recognize some names, either from memories of watching them in rare telecasts during weekends, or through the NBA Live games that I used to play on the Playstation.

Rediscovering productions photos from CHICKEN RICE MYSTERY, my first ever short film in 2008

In the last few months when I worked on my debut feature RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS, I couldn't help but remember my own experiences of six years ago, when I was shooting my first ever short film, CHICKEN RICE MYSTERY, in 2008.

It's been six years, and I've done countless projects since then. But the fresh feeling of working with a professional cast and crew for the very first time continues to linger in my mind. Nothing makes me feel more excited than a film shoot, and it's a good thing that nothing has changed in these six years.

Post by Edmund Yeo.

Yangsze Choo's THE GHOST BRIDE

Last July, my friend Lydia sent me an article about a US-based Malaysian author Yangsze Choo, whose debut novel THE GHOST BRIDE had just been released.


The author was a family friend from Lydia's childhood.

In the book, its protagonist Li Lan receives a proposal of marriage from the wealthy family of Lim Tian Ching, a young man who died of fever a few months earlier.

My Instagram photos from RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS

Over the past half a year since I was location scouting for my film RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS, or during its production, I had taken quite a lot of photos. Some were uploaded immediately, some I uploaded only recently.

Doghouse 73 Pictures - James Lee's attempt to bring Malaysian independent cinema to all

A few days ago, filmmaker and pal James Lee won an award for Best Content at the DiGi WWWOW Awards with his brainchild, Doghouse 73 Pictures.

This is quite a big deal because the WWWOW Awards is the Malaysian equivalent of the Webbies, and it is recognising James' efforts in the last year and a half to bring Malaysian independent cinema to the internet for everyone.

Post by James Lee.

James, as some of you might know, is one of the pioneers of local independent films, having made his own self-financed films in the early 2000s when digital filmmaking technology started becoming attainable for the public. What he did then would lead to the attention of international film festivals, and a movement that was then known as the "Malaysian New Wave" with other filmmakers like Tan Chui Mui, Liew Seng Tat, Yasmin Ahmad, Ho Yuhang and my regular collaborator Woo Ming Jin. Regardless of what people in the country would think, James' place in the history of Malaysian Cinema is more or less assured.

Me vs Malaysian Moviegoers

#172940788 / gettyimages.com

I go to the movies almost every week, and had dealt with my share of unruly moviegoers in the cinema. I had a particularly annoying experience yesterday when I went to THE ROVER (the Australian film by David Michod that stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson), but more on that later.

I decided to compile the tweets or FB statuses I have posted this year which I bitch about people lacked cinema manners.

Finishing up RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS

Ever since I finished the principal photography for RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS in early March, I have been spending my time editing and then tinkering with it. It's actually a habit of mine, that I'm never satisfied with the editing of my works until it has finally premiered somewhere, and I know that I can't touch it anymore.

I spent the whole first week of June doing the reshoots for Ming Jin's SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES, then I shot an extra sequence for RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS with almost the same skeletal crew.

The new sequence involved the lead actress Daphne, and a child actress Zoe, who was supposed to play the child version of the protagonist.

培才华小的杰出校友？ Notable alumni in Puay Chai primary school？

去年十月， 我母校培才华小欢庆建校90周年， 出版了纪念特刊。 很荣幸被列为培才杰出校友校友之一。 感恩。

以下是特刊给我的特写：

Finishing up SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES

Immediately after I returned from Tokyo, I headed off to do the reshoots for Woo Ming Jin's SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES (which I co-wrote, produced and edited).

A farewell to my second home in Tokyo, a revisiting of memories.

I have finally returned to Malaysia today after taking a 10-week sabbatical in Tokyo (needed to recuperate from the RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS shoot, while enjoying the cherry blossoms season).

During the last few weeks, I have been cleaning up my room in Tokyo, the same dorm room that I've been staying at since 2008. Even though I finished my doctorate last March, I had yet to officially check out from this room because I had so many things in it. This time, I was supposed to put an end to this chapter of my life.

In 2008 to 2010, my wall was covered with film flyers that I collected from cinemas and film festivals, and also photos of nice celebrities. Since I was going to live such a solitary life, I figured that having some happy-looking faces around me would lighten up the atmosphere.

My Thomas Cup Finals 2014 commentary

So, the Thomas Cup Finals had just ended. Malaysia made the finals after a 12-year-drought, but lost, which continues a 22-year-drought. No big deal, when more than two thirds of my life had been filled with disappointment, the pain just becomes a sort of numbness. Am I right? Right?

WATCH: James Lee's new short film ALL FOR LOVE 为了爱 starring Daphne Low

Oh goody, Malaysian independent film pioneer James Lee (and producer of my last short film FLOATING SUN) has just uploaded his new short film ALL FOR LOVE.

Here's the mysterious synopsis:

A girl sends her old SLR camera to a reclusive camera repair master. In the course of getting the camera fixed, the girl develops a special relationship with the master.

Of course, you have to watch the 12-minute short film yourself to know the nature of this special relationship.

The beautiful visuals of THE CRANES ARE FLYING and I AM CUBA

Last week, when the Cannes Film Festival was about to begin, many film sites that I've been following started publishing their lists of best Palme d'Or winners. I figured it would be a good time to catch up with some of them, especially the older ones.

In Praise of Shiina Ringo's Music Videos

Last month, after getting hold of her two albums UKINA 浮き名 and MITSUGETSU-SHO 蜜月抄 (both albums were released to commemorate her 15th anniversary in the music industry), I became addicted to the songs of Shiina Ringo 椎名林檎 again.

Edward Yang

(I posted this on Facebook in December 9, 2014. I'm going to expand upon it.)

Post by Edmund Yeo.

Last December, it started out as a Hou Hsiao-Hsien marathon. The original intention was to watch films directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, but I ended up watching the film which featured his one and only starring role. Edward Yang's TAIPEI STORY (Hou was also the producer).

And because of this, I finally completed every single Edward Yang film in his oeuvre. Unintentionally. Because I didn't want it to end so early.

One of my favourite directors ever. And, in my opinion, one of the greatest. His works had influenced me a lot. I wrote more about my own experiences with the works of Edward Yang in June 29, 2012, marking the 5th anniversary of his death. That was before I watched MAHJONG and the first two films of this career, THAT DAY ON THE BEACH and TAIPEI STORY (I watched both in 2013, on Youtube, because both films are notoriously difficult to find).

The first Edward Yang film I saw was YI YI, that was 2007, shortly after his death. I was mesmerized by his brilliance. YI YI would become my main influence when it came to editing Ming Jin's films telemovie DAYS OF THE TURQUOISE SKY (2007), because its ending, where the protagonist summarized his thoughts on CATCHER IN THE RYE, was a homage to YI YI's ending.

Found some long-lost photos from a 2005 trip in China!

Selfie, 2005

My time in Tokyo is coming to an end.

After my graduation last March, I was supposed to leave the Wakeijuku Dormitory that I had been staying since 2008. (Haruki Murakami used to stay here too!) After all, the place was meant only for students.

Clean up and clear my room. Then return to Malaysia.

But that turned out to be too difficult. Many things were left in the room before I left.

I promised them that I would come back "in a few months" to clean everything up. I came back almost a year later. The folks in the dorm were kind enough to leave my room vacant for this whole period of time.

So, right now, I am trying to put an absolute end to a chapter of my life, even though it really should have ended last year.

Spent the last few days clearing things up, throwing a lot of old stuff which, as expected, left me a little nostalgic.

I used keep many of my data in blank DVDs, I decided to get rid of this whole pile of them by transferring most of the data into a new hard disk I bought.

I was surprised that many of the data dated from 2004 to 2006, during my time in Perth. My music and movie collection. Those were the times when those films I had were in .mpg or .rmvb formats. Very low resolution. It was amusing.

My music collection surprised me a little, when it dawned upon me that I have been listening to such bands like Ego-Wrappin', Deerhoof, Arcade Fire for nearly a decade.

A few hours ago, I went through a data disc and found only photos in it. They were actually photos taken during a family trip in China around December 2005. This blog has already existed then, in fact, some of my earliest Youtube videos posted in this blog were videos of this particular trip. There were even a few heavily photoshopped photos here and here.

But why did I choose only those few photos to upload? What about the rest?

For nearly 9 years, I thought I've lost these photos!

Looking at them now, even though my photography skills then weren't as good, and I was using only a cheap Canon Powershot camera, I don't think they were that bad at all!

More and more, this blog has become a place to help me remember things. Therefore I decided to upload all those remaining photos on Facebook, and also put them here.

Finished Charles Yu's THIRD CLASS SUPERHERO in a day. Loved it.

I bought this book at least 2-3 years ago. (Probably closer to 3 than 2, I am not sure) It was an accident, I was ordering a graphic novel on Amazon, this book was recommended to me, I figured it was another graphic novel (by an Asian American artist? okay!), so I bought it too.

The next day, when the books arrived, I was surprised that Charles Yu's THIRD CLASS SUPERHERO turned out to be a collection of short stories, and not a graphic novel ("whaaat? no pictures?" I whined to myself, becoming a parody of people I despised)

Because I had so many other books to read then, I put it aside. Years passed. It was then left in a box at the corner of a room in Tokyo that I left vacant for ten months. I found it again only a few days ago, in the almost-forgotten box with my almost-forgotten stuff that I left here.

Having spent the entire week working on the music of RIVER OF EXPLODING DURIANS with my composer, I finally got to rest. Yesterday evening I was supposed to go to Ogikubo. A train ride there would take 16 minutes, return trip would be 32 minutes. So I took the book along with me and spent the whole time reading. In that amount of time, I managed to finish 2-3 of the 11 short stories in the book. I was intrigued.

After a night and a day, I finally finished the book. There are some stories that stood out to me:

WATCH: GIRL IN THE WATER short film by Jeppe Ronde and Woo Ming Jin that I produced

Hm, the short film's been online since early last year but I've never posted about it. Speaks a lot about how low-profile I am, yeah?

Anyway, this is GIRL IN THE WATER, a 2011 short film co-directed by Ming Jin and Danish director Jeppe Ronde as part of a collaborative project set up by CPH: DOX (that's the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival), I was one of the producers and editors.

GIRL IN THE WATER stars the Thai actress Sajee Apiwong and chronicles the plight of a young Thai woman who got washed upon the shores of Malaysia.

The passing trains of Hou Hsiao Hsien's Café Lumière

A few days ago I decided to catch The Amazing Spider-man 2 in Shinjuku. The only available ticket was the 10pm show at night, I bought it and went to Akihabara for a walk.

Wandering aimlessly, I found myself at an area that I've never been to before.

李安对话张艺谋 Dialogue Between Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou

听了两位大导演的话， 有很大的感触和启发。

的确， 很多时候， 也觉得自己不是在导电影， 而是电影在导我。

Obama in Malaysia

U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Malaysia last weekend was quite a big deal to many in the country because it was the first time in 48 years when the president of United States came to visit us small Malaysians. (last one was Lyndon B. Johnson) That's why I have to post this for remembrance.

A few days before that, he was in Tokyo.

I didn't know about it until I was in Ginza, where the entire place was swarmed with police, roads were blocked, and lots of news team around.

WATCH: James Lee's 2007 TV film BERNAFAS DALAM LUMPUR

A few days ago, Malaysian independent film pioneer James Lee (and also producer of my last short film FLOATING SUN :D ) uploaded his entire 2007 TV movie BERNAFAS DALAM LUMPUR (English title: BREATHING IN MUD) online.

I remember catching this on TV the day it was aired seven years ago. The film starred numerous actors whom I have collaborated with a few months earlier in the TV films I produced, KURUS (English title: DAYS OF THE TURQUOISE SKY): Nam Ron, Mislina Mustaffa, Mohammad Hariry, Azman Hassan etc.

It tells the story of a man, Meor (Hariry) long thought to be dead, returning to his wife (Mislina), who has now remarried his best friend Din (Nam Ron).

Yes, like KURUS, this was a TV movie commissioned by NTV7. If this is online, I wonder whether it's possible for me to upload KURUS in its entirety as well?

Here's the film:

Finishing Roberto Bolano's THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES in Bali

I discovered Roberto Bolano during my 2007 trip in Chile. That was my first ever trip to a film festival as an invited filmmaker (went there as producer for ELEPHANT AND THE SEA, which was in competition), and also a prelude of the many solo travelings that I would do after that.

My routine in these (film festival) trips has remained mostly the same. When I'm not attending the film festival, I would be taking solitary walks around recommended places, snapping photos, and then taking a break somewhere for food or coffee, in which I would take out a book to read. Otherwise, I would just head into a nearby bookstore to look through the books.

On the day that I was about to leave Santiago, I decided that I had a few hours to kill, so I went to the shopping mall next to my hotel and hung out at the bookshop. A few days earlier, someone had recommended Bolano's works to me, so I was curious to read them. There was a bookshelf full of his works, and I decided to check out his short story collection LAST EVENINGS ON EARTH, because it sounded like a science fiction novel (it really sounded like A. A. Attanasio's underrated sci-fi epic novel THE LAST LEGENDS OF EARTH, right?)

Of course, when I went through the short stories, I realized there was nothing remotely science fictionish about them at all. They were all stories narrated by struggling writers living at the margins. I think I only got through a 2-3 stories before I had to rush to the airport, but he left an impression.

In the few years since then, I have bought 2666 at a bookshop in Roppongi, which I have yet to read because I wanted to read THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES first.

I started THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES early last year. I went through the first section (book is divided into 3 sections) very swiftly. It's narrated by a 17-year-old aspiring poet named Juan Garcia Madero and chronicles his encounters with a group of poets who call themselves the "Visceral Realists", and also his string of love affairs.

The second section (which is two thirds of the novel's entire length) is a sudden shift in style and is the centerpiece of the novel. Spanning twenty years with dozens of narrators, it is a series of interviews with people (around the world) who had contact with the two leaders of the Visceral Realists, Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima. The book becomes as much about the two as it is about the narrators, and also the time and place around them.

Due to the density of the novel, and also because the novel I read before this was Gao Xingjian's SOUL MOUNTAIN, I was too mentally exhausted. So I took a break from it after reaching the 200 page-mark. That was around May 2013.

Kecak Dance in Uluwatu, Bali

The night before I left Bali, I managed to watch the famous Kecak Dance in Uluwatu. It was an experience unlike any other.

Bali was indeed beautiful

During my 10 days in Bali (I was there because I rented my camera out for an Indonesian-Japanese co-production film shoot), I managed to see some beautiful sights.

Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo 2014

Over the years I have taken quite a few photos of cherry blossoms in Tokyo.

The beauty of the sakura season is that everything is so fleeting, we just have to make the best of it. I guess that's the difference between a place like Japan and Malaysia. Malaysia is a tropical country where everything remains in perpetuity, summer lasts for 365 days, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, giving off an illusion of eternity, whilst Japan, with the cycle of seasons, and especially the short lovely sakura seasons, is constantly reminding me of impermanence, illustrating the passage of time.

Kumi Odori 組踊, Shikina-en 識名園 and Okinawa

When I was 14, I wanted to visit Okinawa because I fell in love with an Okinawa girl.

Unfortunately, said Okinawa girl was a member of Japanese pop group called SPEED (... where all four members were from Okinawa).

Looooong after my teens ended, I finally had the chance to fulfil my dreams when I was invited to the Okinawa International Film Festival last month to be one of the speakers at the Asia Content Gathering Symposium (other speakers include my pal Lim Kah Wai the Osaka-based Malaysian filmmaker, the Okinawan filmmaker Soichi Takayama and Cambodia Film Commission CEO Cedric Eloy).

Rest in peace, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I was in Bali the past 10 days for a film shoot that I wasn't exactly involved in. (Basically, I was renting out my Blackmagic Cinema Camera for an Indonesian-Japanese film shoot, and had to stay around to ensure that no one was going to break my camera... of course, a free trip to Bali, which I've never gone before, was too tempting an offer to turn down)

While I was seemingly trapped in a time warp (like all film shoots tend to feel, despite my lack of involvement in this one), many things had happened in this world, mostly tragedies. One of my favourite wrestlers from my childhood, THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR, passed away on the day that I was flying off to Bali.

Since then, there was the South Korean ferry disaster in April 16, followed a day later, on April 17, by the deaths of Malaysian opposition politician Karpal Singh and literary giant Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Now that I am back in Malaysia for a day before I return to Tokyo tomorrow, I feel nothing but melancholy for the recent losses.

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.