Title: Muallaf (The Convert)
Year: 2008
Directed by: Yasmin Ahmad
Country: Malaysia
Starring: Brian Yap; Sharifah Amani; Yeo Yann Yann; Sharifah Aleysha
Year: 2008
Directed by: Yasmin Ahmad
Country: Malaysia
Starring: Brian Yap; Sharifah Amani; Yeo Yann Yann; Sharifah Aleysha
Synopsis:
This is a tale of three souls who find soalce in religion. Brian has lost his faith in Christianity since he was 12 after being humiliated by his father, a strict Catholic. During his teaching days at the school, he meets the two sisters who often recite verses from the holy Qur'an and gain simple knowledge of Islam. Each of their life journeys will never be the same again.
Hypnotizing!
The first minutes was interesting. The picture was simple but refreshing. In the middle of the movie, I got pretty bored because of its slow approach to the climax. I'm beginning to know the character though. The two sisters are intriguing, independent, devout Muslim and optimistic. While Brian is depressed, stingy and he's in a condition where he lost his faith in Christianity because of childhood trauma and indulgent mother. But as I watched the movie until it ended, I found that this movie is personally hypnotizing.
I watched this movie today with my friend Marvin Julian and Clarissa Putri Suseno on the 8th day of 2009's JIFFest. I closed Muallaf with a talk show with Okhtar Ahmad, the sister of director Yasmin Ahmad. By the time this movie is released in Indonesia, Yasmin Ahmad has passed away.
The talkshow changed my mind and gave me perspective. First I thought that this movie was about Islamisation. But then, no it isn't. It's more about how the lives of 2 devout Muslim affected those around them. Brian is just one example given in the movie. This movie is purely based on a true story. The problems brought up there are the problems that people in Malaysia - so Okhtar Ahmad said - coped most of the time in their family. At the end it doesn't boldly show that Brian convert to Islam. In fact, it said nothing about convertion at all. But if you know the real story, which Okhtar brought up to us, the character Brian really converted to Islam.
The last minutes of Muallaf used the song "Amazing Grace." You know that it is the song Christians and Catholics like to sing in Churches. So why Amazing Grace, I wondered. She said, "Because it inspires people. My sister Yasmin listens to any kind of music. She doesn't adopt the way of thinking that listening to music from other religion will hurt Allah. If you watched her other works, you will see that she used various musics."
So dear Okhtar, your sister Yasmin didn't die. She left her legacy through her arts. Her movies pretty much reflect her characters, what kind of person she was at the time of her life. I take Muallaf as Yasmin's tribute to keep both of your lives' story eternally.
Me, Okhtar Ahmad, Clarissa Putri Suseno
If you're interested in knowing the late Yasmin Ahmad further more do visit her blog:
http://yasminthestoryteller.blogspot.com
http://yasminthefilmmaker.blogspot.com
I watched this movie today with my friend Marvin Julian and Clarissa Putri Suseno on the 8th day of 2009's JIFFest. I closed Muallaf with a talk show with Okhtar Ahmad, the sister of director Yasmin Ahmad. By the time this movie is released in Indonesia, Yasmin Ahmad has passed away.
The talkshow changed my mind and gave me perspective. First I thought that this movie was about Islamisation. But then, no it isn't. It's more about how the lives of 2 devout Muslim affected those around them. Brian is just one example given in the movie. This movie is purely based on a true story. The problems brought up there are the problems that people in Malaysia - so Okhtar Ahmad said - coped most of the time in their family. At the end it doesn't boldly show that Brian convert to Islam. In fact, it said nothing about convertion at all. But if you know the real story, which Okhtar brought up to us, the character Brian really converted to Islam.
The last minutes of Muallaf used the song "Amazing Grace." You know that it is the song Christians and Catholics like to sing in Churches. So why Amazing Grace, I wondered. She said, "Because it inspires people. My sister Yasmin listens to any kind of music. She doesn't adopt the way of thinking that listening to music from other religion will hurt Allah. If you watched her other works, you will see that she used various musics."
So dear Okhtar, your sister Yasmin didn't die. She left her legacy through her arts. Her movies pretty much reflect her characters, what kind of person she was at the time of her life. I take Muallaf as Yasmin's tribute to keep both of your lives' story eternally.
Me, Okhtar Ahmad, Clarissa Putri SusenoIf you're interested in knowing the late Yasmin Ahmad further more do visit her blog:
http://yasminthestoryteller.blogspot.com
http://yasminthefilmmaker.blogspot.com
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