Punggok Rindukan Bulan

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Punggok Rindukan Bulan (English title: This Longing) is a 2008 Malaysian film in the Malay language. It was directed by Azharr Rudin, in his directorial debut feature and produced by Da Huang Pictures. It premiered at the 2008 Pusan International Film Festival. [1] [2] It was shot entirely in the southern city of Johor Bahru, mostly at the low-cost Bukit Chagar flats [1] that have since been demolished to make way for development. [3] The film also screened in several other film festivals such as the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival, [1] the 2008 Jakarta International Film Festival [4] and 2009 BAFICI It screened in limited release in Malaysia through Golden Screen Cinemas International Screens from 25 September 2008. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Unusually for a Malaysian film Punggok Rindukan Bulan contains no music or songs. [8]

The film was produced with the aid of grants from Multimedia Development Corporation and Krishen Jit Astro fund. [9]

Synopsis

Sidi, a boy in secondary school, and his father Adman both cope with the sudden absence of a key female figure in their life. In an apparently unconnected story, a boyish young woman returns to photograph the places that were the background of her earlier years.

Themes

The film is set in the border town of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. [10] The literal meaning of the title, a Malay saying, is "the owl misses the moon", offering a reflection on longing. [11] [12]

Cast

Saeful Nazhif Satria ... Sidi
Sahronizam Noor ... Adman
Maya Karin ... Umi
Salehuddin Abu Bakar ... Lelaki Kurang Kemas
Sharifah Amani ... Riza

Crew

Azharr Rudin ... Writer/Director/Editor
Amir Muhammad ... Producer
Tan Chui Mui ... Executive Producer
Sidi Saleh ... Director of Photography
Hairul Askor Salleh ... Assistant Director/ Production Manager

Reception

The work of Azharr Rudin in the film was described as "reveal(ing) a remarkable gift of insight. He has some special feeling for things, people and events, at least those he chooses to treat in his first feature film set in a decrepit housing project in Johor Baharu, near Singapore." [13] The film was also described as "tow films in one" with "a mysterious syntax" and an "introspective film that captures the lives of those living in a run-down low-cost flat slated for demolition in Johor Bahru” and “uplifting”, “poignant”, “mysterious”, “daring”, “astonishing”, “authentic” and “evocatively captures sense of liminality.” [14] This Longing was also noted for its depicition of the lives of working class in Asia. [15]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Punggok Rindukan Bulan's arthouse sensibilities". The Star . 24 September 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  2. ↑ "Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Demolition work on Bukit Chagar flats finally begins". The Star . 6 May 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  4. ↑ "SE Asia films make headway". The Jakarta Post . 9 December 2008.
  5. ↑ "A silent, lonely film". The New Straits Times . 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  6. ↑ Khoo, Gaik Cheng (28 April 2015), "12. Syiok Sendiri? Independent Filmmaking in Malaysia", Independent Filmmaking Around the Globe, University of Toronto Press, pp. 213–235, doi:10.3138/9781442620377-015, ISBN   978-1-4426-2037-7 , retrieved 29 January 2024
  7. ↑ Baltruschat, Doris; Erickson, Mary P. (1 January 2015). Independent Filmmaking Around the Globe. University of Toronto Press. ISBN   978-1-4426-2683-6.
  8. ↑ "Telling life like it is". The Sun . 23 September 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  9. ↑ "Krishen's legacy continues". The Star . 4 November 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  10. ↑ "An interview with Azharr Rudin, director of This Longing". World Socialist Web Site. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Punggok Rindukan Bulan". KLue. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  12. ↑ Chin, Professor James; Dosch, Professor Joern (15 August 2015). MALAYSIA POST-MAHATHIR: A Decade of Change. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. ISBN   978-981-4677-55-4.
  13. ↑ "Vancouver International Film Festival 2008—Part 1". World Socialist Web Site. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  14. ↑ "Special Screening: Anonymous Spirit". KLEX. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  15. ↑ Stone, Rob; Cooke, Paul; Dennison, Stephanie; Marlow-Mann, Alex (27 September 2017). The Routledge Companion to World Cinema. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-42058-3.


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