Thoughts on Films

Episode 64: An Inner View with Anwar Johari Ho

Selamat Hari Raya to all! Recorded at the end of Ramadhan, this episode is a special interview with Anwar Johari Ho, the director of ‘Forget Me Not’. Fikri sits down with him (online, natch) to discuss his career thus far, and how his education journey has helped (or not) with his film one. In the second half, they delve deeper into Anwar’s film, discussing issues related to Chineseness, how it relates to his own personal contexts, and the peaks and troughs experienced in making the film. Have a listen, and enjoy the episode as you enjoy your lemang (if you can find some, that is)!

Episode 63: Let’s Talk About Memories of Murder

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing: Hafiz Rahman! This episode sees Hafiz, a keen film fan, sit down with Fikri for a stroll down the killer memory lane that is Memories of Murder. Directed by Bong Joon-ho (probably the one filmmaker with the dreamiest of 12 months to look back on), the film tells the story of South Korea’s first serial murders in history. Sparked by Hafiz’s recent splurge on his films, they consider the political context of the film’s setting, the film’s representation of violence and gender, and correlations to real-life events. All this and more on the 63^rd episode of Thoughts on Films!

Episode 62: Obituaries in World Cinema

For once, an episode hitting more sombre notes. Fikri and Muz sit down to discuss the recent passing of three personalities in world cinema: Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Kamal Ishak. Part one sees the discussion of Irrfan Khan’s impact, particularly through the films the boys were first introduced to him. The second half focuses more on ‘Bobby’s Rishi Kapoor and the impact of that film, as well as Kamal Ishak, the Malaysian filmmaker most prominent in the 1990s with films such as ‘Cinta Kita’ and ‘Penyair Malam’.

Episode 61: The Fourth is Strong with Them

Happy Star Wars Day! For this episode, Ezzah reminisce over her trip to Tunisia a number of years ago, during which time she managed to snag a visit to the original Star Wars set. She dove deep into her thoughts and feelings at the time, including the journey of getting there and how the experience and emotions affected her. In the second half, Fikri and Muz delve into a discussion on the future of the Star Wars series, including how the conclusion of the Skywalker saga may affect their own interest, and whether it is wise to prioritise its television productions (as opposed to theatrical releases). Whatever it is, May the Fourth be with you all!

Episode 60: Challenging Infections with #KumanPicturesChallenge

For the 60^th episode, Fikri and Ezzah celebrate the festival of creativity that is the #KumanPicturesChallenge by looking at a select number of films. Organised by Kuman Pictures, it is a competition designed to encourage filmmaking under lockdown conditions, with the winners walking away with RM1,000. Given that there are over 200(!) films, we have been very personal and prejudiced in the films featured in this episode. However, while that is no guarantee of quality, we certainly had a good time in watching these films, and we hope you have a good time in listening us discuss them!

Episode 59: Disney Plus Plus

Disney+ is in town, and so are Fikri and Muz! In this episode, the guys sit down to chat about its position in the streaming landscape. Reflecting on their experience of streaming the House of Mouse, they talk about the upsides (e.g. the surprisingly low cost), as well some of the surprising downsides. In the second half, Fikri talks to Ezzah about two articles they wrote on streaming back in 2016, and consider how things have changed for them in the four years since, focusing on the streaming industry and its impact in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Episode 58: A Macro Look at Microdocs

58 up! For this episode, Fikri and Ezzah sit down to have a chat about microdocumentaries. Inspired by Ezzah’s current professional obligations, the discussion includes videos produced by the likes of Vice, Vox, and anything else that begins with the letter V. Along the way, they consider the good, the bad, and the information colonisation of the genre, as well as various regional and local alternatives. All this and more on the only film podcast in the world where you are not required to laugh at Fikri’s jokes (but do so anyway)!

Episode 57: The One with Two Muzzes

The 57^th episode of Thoughts on Films sees Fikri and Ezzah get together to reflect on some contributions from their friends. This includes the two Muzzes, one (Muzzafar) sharing his thoughts on being inside the world’s largest COVID-19 lockdown, while the other (Muzzamer) expresses his thoughts and feelings on the postponement of his film, ‘Takut Ke Tak’. We also have a listen to Lin Ariffin, one of the persons behind Aussie Malaysian TV in Melbourne, Australia, as she describes a special documentary project she is working on. Finally, Ezzah sheds more light on her experiences at Walkabout Asia, a microdocumentary channel she is currently attached to.

Episode 56: COVID-19 and Malaysian Cinema

Though the world now has much bigger things to think about, the team gets together to discuss their feelings on the situation, shedding light on life under different types of lockdown in Malaysia and England. Coming back into the mix to do exactly that is Ezzah Mahmud, as she and Fikri consider the impact of COVID-19 on Malaysian cinema. This includes the exhibition of films cut short or postponed due to the Restricted Movement Order since 18th March 2020, as well as other significant film events. Along the way, friend of the show and Indonesian filmmaker Winaldo Swastia chimes in with his own perspective from Jakarta, including how his own film shoot has been affected.

Episode 55: The Winding Road

The Winding Road is a panel discussion at the 2019 Young Filmmakers and Digital Content Forum. Though the path to making your debut feature film is filled with many challenges, many still see it as the top of the mountain, a peak to aim for in one’s career. With that in mind, this episode features an in-depth discussion with Ineza Roussille (director, M for Malaysia), Muzzamer Rahman (director, Prebet Sapu) and Nadiah Hamzah (director, Motif). Having recently made their first feature films, they now shine a light for others still finding their way.

The event was organised by the Institute of Arts and Media Studies Malaysia (SEMESTA), in association with the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) and Malaysian Digital Film Awards (MDfA).