These are the 10 Malaysian films directed by female filmmakers

The gender disparity women directors face in the film industry is pretty obvious not only in Hollywood, but in our local film scene as well.

We all know that filmmaking is a male-dominated industry. When one speaks of filmmaking, one would have the impression of it as a very masculine career and admit it, you would do a double take if you saw woman to carrying a huge camera on her shoulders.

According to a study of women directors last year by Sundance Institute titled, “Exploring the Barriers and Opportunities for Independent Women Filmmakers”, there are 15.24 male directors for each 1 female director. Which means that many men make multiple films and few women make any films.

The gender disparity women directors’ face in the film industry is pretty obvious not only in Hollywood, but in our local film scene as well.

Therefore, to celebrate our very own women filmmakers, this list gathers some of Malaysia’s prominent female filmmakers and their films (that I am aware of) so feel free to suggest any local films that I have missed out.

Ceritaku Ceritamu (Saadiah, 1979)

This colour film is about a village girl, Hasnah and her ambitious dreams in the field of fashion. She wishes to move to Kuala Lumpur to find a better job for a brighter future but a boy who has feelings for her is not pleased with her departure.

As soon as she arrives to the city, she becomes acquainted with a married man. They form a relationship to the point he neglects his responsibility as a father.

Soon after, Hasnah returns to her village with hopes of having her former lover accepting her back.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Saadiah was one of the famous film stars, mostly the prima donna in Malay films and often paired with P. Ramlee.

With this film, Saadiah became the first Malay female director. However, “Ceritaku Ceritamu” was her one and only directorial effort as she found more interest in acting.

Mawar Merah (Rosnani Jamil, 1987)

"Mawar Merah" tells of the forbidden love between teenage schoolgirl and her uncle.

The story begins with a lonely Ati at home in Jakarta who is driven to mix with rather unsavoury characters. Then an accident kills her boyfriend and cripples another schoolmate and Ati repents.

To keep her in check, her parents send her to live with her grandmother and uncle in Kuala Lumpur. Thus begins the ill-fated love affair (The New Straits Times, Jun 15, 1987).

This film was a commendable effort by the first-time director who also co-produced it with husband, veteran director Jamil Sulong.

Layar Lara (Shuhaimi Baba, 1997)

Shuhaimi Baba landed her first award as the Best Director in the 13th Malaysian Film Festival (FFM13). In fact, she had broken the conformity by being the first female director to win the award.

She has also won the Best Director in the foreign language category at the 19th Brussels International Independent Film Festival 1997, Belgium.

The story follows Ena Manjalara, a spoiled young actress, who tries to enchant all the men around her, including Shak, an egoistic singer, Daud, a film extra, and Malik, her film director.

Losing her grip on reality, she is sacked by Malik, and her life became one of desperation.

Ena meets Daud's aunt, Zai, a former movie idol of the 1950s who is now also destitute. As a result of the meeting, Ena learns the true meaning of friendship, respect, and artistic devotion.

Perempuan Melayu Terakhir (Erma Fatima, 1999)

A directorial debut by Erma Fatima, “Perempuan Melayu Terakhir” is about Haikal, who produces western drama and travels to Malaysia’s east coast in search for his identity as a Malay.

There, his destiny arranges a meeting with a girl who still upholds the tradition of Malay. Although she is engaged to someone else, Haikal finds himself strongly attracted to her.

Erma Fatima received the Best Director Award at the 7th Pyongyang International Film Festival 2000, North Korea. The film has also won Best Story (Syed Azidi), Best Cinematography (Teoh Gay Hian), Best Art Direction (Hamir Soib & Zuraini Anuar), Most Promising Actor (Eizlan Yusof), and the Special Jury Award at the 14th Malaysian Film Festival.

Embun (Erma Fatima, 2002)

Erma returned with her sophomore effort but lost the Best Director Award to her husband, Badaruddin Azmi who directed “KL Menjerit” which also won the Best Film Award at the 16th Malaysian Film Festival.

Set in Malaya during the Japanese occupation in the 1940s, this film tells the story of a girl, Embun, who is thrown into the forefront of the struggle against the Japanese when her freedom-fighter brother, Bayu and father are detained by the Japanese.

In the midst of it all, she is attracted to the Japanese army public relations man, Koishi, who is assigned to explain the Japanese propaganda to the Malays and win their support.

Sepet (Yasmin Ahmad, 2004)

No lists about Malaysian filmmakers are complete without the mention of Yasmin Ahmad who has touched the lives of many Malaysians with her films.

“Sepet” it tells a tale of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl and probes the sensitive issue of interracial relationships.

The sequel to “Sepet”, called “Gubra” was released in 2006 and followed by a prequel to both Sepet and Gubra, titled Mukhsin. The three films are known as Orked Trilogy.

The film won the Best Film Awards at the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival 2005, the 27th Créteil International Women's Film Festival in France, the 18th Malaysian Film Festival and the Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards.

Love Conquers All (Tan Chui Mui, 2006)

Revolving around the life of a girl from Penang who has come to Kuala Lumpur to work with her aunt, Ping meets John, a young man who keeps trying to approach her. Ping has come from Penang in the north to Kuala Lumpur to work with her aunt.

There she meets John, and although she has a boyfriend in Penang she is drawn more and more into his world. Ping loses herself in her love and does all she can to keep John.

Graduated from Multimedia University with a Bachelor Degree of Multimedia in Animation & Film in 2002, her debut feature film had won several awards such as The Swiss Oikocredit award at Fribourg, the Tiger Award at 36th International Film Festival and the New Currents Awards and Fipresci Award at the 11th Pusan International Film Festival in 2006.

Since then, Tan has been recognised as being at the forefront of a new wave of Malaysian filmmakers who deal with social issues.

Talentime (Yasmin Ahmad, 2009)

A talent search competition has matched two hearts - that of Melur, a Malay-mixed girl and an Indian male student, Mahesh. Melur, with her melodious voice, singing whilst playing the piano is one of the seven finalists of the Talentime competition of her school organised by Cikgu Adibah.

Likewise Hafiz, enthralling with his vocalist talent while playing the guitar, divides his time between school and mother, who is hospitalised for brain tumour.

This film marks Yasmin's last feature film prior to her death on July 25, 2009 which had awarded her with the Best Director at the 22nd Malaysian Film Festival.

Year Without A Summer (Tan Chui Mui, 2010)

Director Tan Chui Mui returned to her birthplace, a quiet and remote Malaysian fishing village, to film Year Without a Summer, a story of boyhood friends who reunite after a long separation. The first part of film is set largely in the moonlight.

On the evening when the singer Azam returns to the village he was so eager to flee as a little boy, he goes fishing in a boat with his friend Ali and his friend’s wife, Minah.

The three embark on a lengthy nighttime fishing expedition and tiptoe around the reasons for Azam’s long absence. The film is a poetic reflection on memories, friendship and dreams in a world related to the sea.

The film has received the Special Mention Awards (Cinema of the Future) at the 13th Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema in 2011.

Penanggal: The Curse of the Malayan Vampire (Ellie Suriaty, 2013)

Set in the 1930s, Murni unknowingly inherits ghostly powers from Mak Ajeng, which terrifies the village folk in Kampung Jawa, forcing her to flee. Abused by the villagers for her unwanted powers, Murni is saved by Syed Yusof while making her escape.

Born in 1971, Ellie began her acting career in 1999 and is well-known for an actress. “Penanggal” is her first foray into directing a feature film.

Ellie, who was four months pregnant, suffered a miscarriage during filming. However, her hard work and dedication were in no vain as the film had won her the Most Promising Director at the 26th Malaysian Film Festival this year. 

- Source: The Daily Seni