THE WAY FORWARD!

Wow, I haven't seen this much discussion and passion about a particular subject since the rumour that a famous female singer was seeing a datuk K. Thank you guys so much for your input yang bernas dan tak bernas.

Personally, i don't know how far this discussion is going to turn into anything REAL but i know most of you will agree that

1. WE MUST HAVE OUR CENSORSHIP LAWS RELAXED.

2. WE MUST HAVE THE CENSORSHIP LAWS WRITTEN AND SET, SO THAT THERE IS NO AMBIGUITY OF WHAT CAN OR CANNOT
BE DONE. THIS WILL ALSO SHOW HOW FAIR OR UNFAIR OUR SETS OF CENSORSHIP LAWS ARE. ONCE THE LAW IS SET, NO
MORE ADDITIONAL RULES CAN BE ENACTED UNFAIRLY AND IMPOSED ON AN AD-HOC BASIS TO A SAID PRODUCTION.

3. WE PREFER A CLASSIFICATION OR RATING SYSTEM, WHERE THE JOB OF THE CENSORSHIP BOARD IS TO GIVE RATINGS TO
ANY FILM THAT PASSES THROUGH OUR SHORES SO THAT ONLY THE SUITABLE AGE GROUPS WITH THE PROPER MENTAL
ACUMEN CAN WATCH THE FILMS WITH THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF V,H,S IN IT.

4. GIVE US THE FREEDOM TO CREATE. TO TELL STORIES LIKE WE WERE TOLD ONCE AS CHILDREN. TO TELL STORIES LIKE IN
THE GREAT ERA OF P RAMLEE, WHERE THEY WERE TELLING STORIES OF SOCIETY, SOCIAL DIVERSITY, URBAN LEGENDS,
MYTHOLOGY, ROMANCE, BETRAYAL, INFIDELITY. ETC.. ETC.

5. WE MUST HAVE MORE RESPONSIBLE AND EDUCATED FILM MAKERS.

6. WE MUST EDUCATE THE MASS INTO WANTING MORE INTELLECTUAL CONTENT.

7. WE MUST MAKE MORE FILMS WHICH WILL BE BRANDED AS MALAYSIAN FILMS.

8. NO DOUBLE STANDARDS between LOCAL and INTERNATIONAL FILMS.

9. WE NEED YOUNGER AND LEARNED PEOPLE IN THE CENSORSHIP BOARD. PEOPLE WHO CAN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN GOOD
CINEMA AND BAD CINEMA. VIOLENCE FOR VIOLENCE SAKE OR VIOLENCE FOR THE SAKE OF TELLING A BIGGER MORE
IMPORTANT MESSAGE.

People always say why are our films not as good as P Ramlee's time, the answer to me is simple, besides the genus of a man being an undisputed visionary, he was allowed to explore and do much more interesting stories than we are allowed to. Some of his great films, are also now banned by our current censorship board.

Can we make stories as good as P RAMLEE?
I believe the man made movies for his time and was a man beyond his time, he saw things in a broarder context and not just in the point of view of the malays only. Probably this is one reason why he was so close with Tunku Abdul Rahman, who also carried the common vision of a country bigger than the Malays. A country where all it's people were equally as important. OUR FILMS SHOULD POTRAY US, not just one race.

Why is it important for us to bring Malaysian cinema to the world?
For many people, unless they have frequent flyer miles that would even make the harlem globe-trotters envious, a country's film is a reflection of how that country is, the mentality of the people, a reflection of their culture and beliefs, but most importantly, i think, how we as a people react to our experiences of life or times we are faced with dire conflicts. Our mettle if you may. A CINEMA WHICH DEFINES US.

As is said by one THE VISITOR if i am not mistaken, right now the world knows we have the KLCC but all around it, they think we are still living in a swamp and on trees. We complain about it as when they showed that scene of the KLCC in ENTRAPMENT, but what else can we do? The people who control the media help shape the way people perceive others. This is evident on how the world perceive MUSLIMS through CNN, ABC and NBC. If we don't hit back, by enlightening the world thru WORLD CLASS films which can give an accurate potrayal of us as a country and as a people, then we cannot complain because we CHOOSE not to give the world anything but our SENARIOS and MAMI JARUMS.

How do we get to do WORLD CLASS FILMs?
Like JAPAN, KOREA, INDIA, HONGKONG and now even THAILAND, we have to have MORE RELAXED CENSORSHIP. Even Indonesia, which has even more fanatical Muslims there, have more relaxed and clearly set out rules of censorship.

When this is done, i believe, then we will have more interesting content. We have to apply world standards of filmmaking but familiarised with local budgets. Give us five years and i believe within that time we will be noticed by the world. We can do it! LET US GROW TO OUR FULLEST POTENTIAL... These are all things that the government wants of its people, so let us help you, help the country.

I am aware of the many naysayers who say, "alah... even if the censorship was relaxed pun our movies will still be crap." Well all i have to say to that kind of comment is that, "That is why we are still a 3rd world country you stupid frakk... because your mindset is still 3rd world!!"... HOW THE FRAKK WOULD YOU KNOW IF OUR MOVIES WILL STILL BE CRAP?... YOU SHOOT THE IDEA DOWN EVEN BEFORE WE ARE GIVEN A CHANCE TO TRY ANYTHING!! IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE LIVING THE LIFE OF MEDIOCRITY AND NOT WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE YOUR COUNTRY PROUD, keep your thoughts to yourself and don't involve the ones who want to EXCEL and have an AMAZING life in your agenda. WE have the gloss of the tallest this, the biggest that , the best whatever...now let's create some substance to our lives. IT IS OUR DUTY TO GOD (no matter which god you subscribe to or even if you believe there is one at that) to live our lives to the fullest and to face all it's challenges.

YES I AM A FRAKKING POSITIVE THINKER!... BUT I AM A PERSON WHO BELIEVES DREAMS, WITH A LOT OF EFFORT, WILL BECOME REAL. THIS IS MY VISION. A VISION i know many people share.

IF we can get enough people to believe in this VISION, to believe in themselves. WE WILL BECOME WORLD LEADERS. WE CAN SHOW THE WORLD WHAT A 'METROPOLITAN ISLAM HADHARI COUNTRY' IS ABOUT. (Errr... ok , i made that one up, but it sounds good- kan? heehee)

Keep the ruling on SEX if we have too because, i believe that is all asian cultures have the same modesty regarding the matter, but free up the rest. Anyway i personally believe, in films especially, sex is sexier when inferred about, rather than shown.

I REALLY want this to happen so that MALAYSIANS will be recognised in the world stage as great artisans and we can promote BRAND MALAYSIA, the body of work that all the brave new MALAYSIAN filmmakers have created through celluloid to potray the COUNTRY, in a more accurate light to the world. Make the world know who and what Malaysia is about and is REALLY capable of achieving.

I AM PROUD TO BE MALAYSIAN AND I WANT THE WORLD TO TAKE NOTICE OF US.

Watching Chris Rock's stand-up comedy dvd titled 'NEVER SCARED' really was quite an eye opener for me about how intelligent his material is. In one of his stand-up routines he said, "What makes and American an American?"......."If you fought in the world war and are serving the country by putting yourselves on the line to protect the safety of our nation, than you're AMERICAN!"..... "If you ran away from another country and had to swim across rivers and barb wire, risking your life and limb, in pursuit of the AMERICAN dream, you're AMERICAN!"... but, if all you are is someone who came out of your mother's vagina on AMERICAN soil, You're not AMERICAN!... You're just Lucky!"

So i ask you this, ARE YOU MALAYSIAN?....OR ...ARE YOU JUST LUCKY?

EMPOWER THE PEOPLE

AFDLIN SHAUKI
WANNABE MALAYSIAN.