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Malaysia202184 minMalay, English, Chinese with English subtitlesNorth American PremiereDrama
Aman, a young aspiring writer, moved to Kuala Lumpur to follow his dreams, but all he has is his late father’s old car and nowhere to live. To make ends meet, he uses his room on wheels to illegally earn money through a driving-service app. This is how he meets Bella, a student from Penang. When Bella asks Aman to become her private driver for her night job in return for a place to stay, Aman agrees.
The two lost souls form an unlikely solidarity in front of the beautiful yet stark black and white backdrop of Kuala Lumpur. Its unique imagery could be a reflection of how Aman sees the world as a colourblind person, but also a metaphor for his bleak and bittersweet reality as he struggles to find a place he can call home. Will things turn out for the better?
- June Kim
Amerul Affendi
Mei Fen Lim
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, 2020
Udine Far East Film Festival, 2021
Muzzamer Rahman
Muzzamer Rahman is a rising filmmaker and a name to watch. When Hail, Driver! was put on hold due to financial restraints, he filmed Takut Ke Tak (2020), which was completed and released just before it.
After being met with the destabilizing news of her parents’ divorce, Angie, a teenage, mixed-race Asian girl, reckons with her multiracial identity and sexual awakening in this quirky coming-of-age story.
Desh Pardesh ended in 2001, in large part due to a massive cut in public arts funding. Two decades later, organizers and artists from the festival discuss the impact of the festival and the ways in which we can learn from the success and challenges of running an unapologetic and political arts festival in the city of Toronto.
Absence|Presence is a series of panel conversations, screenings, and workshops reintroducing Desh Pardesh to Reel Asian’s audiences and community. Desh Pardesh was a multidisciplinary arts and culture festival that engaged with the political issues of South Asia and its diasporas through a multi-day festival and conference.