Sepet is the first in a controversial trilogy of Malaysian films dedicated to love that transcends racial and cultural barriers has been called one of the best Malaysian films ever to have been made.
Naturally, with a reputation like that, and given that my knowledge of Malaysian culture could be written on a postage stamp, I had to watch it.
A Tale of Love Across the Borders
Sepet sensitively tells the tale of Ah Loong, a young Chinese migrant and a kind of Romeo of the Slums with a secret past who, try as he might, can’t adapt to the societal and religious norms of his new homeland.
Ah Loong’s life takes a sudden turn one day when a Malay schoolgirl, Orked, visits his stall. Love blossoms between the unlikely couple, but with it, comes social consequences.
The moving fictitious story reveals the very real struggle of a migrant race in Malaysia and their attempt to reinvent and redefine themselves by confronting their meaning of existence and destiny.
A Break from the Norm
It’s not every day a Malaysian movie so candidly reveals a relationship between a Chinese DVD seller and a middle class Malay girl.
Two of the scenes in which the couple embraced sensuously were considered so offensive the Malaysian government that they had to be cut.
But if there’s one thing this movie dared to do it was present a vision of love, and a glimpse of a possible future that’s free of prejudice, and where multiculturalism is accepted and celebrated.
Sepet is shot in bahasa rojak, the Malaysian national language and subtitled in various languages.
The Reel Less Travelled By
Sepet’s director, Yasmin Ahmad (who sadly died in July) was one of the few Malaysian and Malay filmmakers out there who earned a reputation for straying far from the norm, which didn’t earn her as much thanks and recognition as she deserved.
The film’s candid open-mindedness and un-conventional approach made it a target for some pretty harsh criticism, most notably from the Malaysian government and its supporters.
Sepet was released in 2004, and was followed by the sequels Gubra, (Anxiety) and Mukshin. I can’t wait to get my hands and eyes on both of them!