Retrospective 2: Struggle For A More Equitable Life

Rainy Days (2006)

A rubber tapper’s quest to recover his rightful wages was stymied by a lengthy legal
process. A true case of justice delayed was justice denied.

• Film Runtime: 15 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Tamil
• Subtitle Language: Malay

Director

Rajan Paramesran

Kayuh (2009)

Kayuh is a first-hand account of a 100-strong contigent of cyclist who rode from Alor Setar and Johor Baharu to Kuala Lumpur for 16 days in order to address 6 major concerns of marginalized groups in Malaysia. The filmmaker, a participant in the cycling campaign herself, attempts to put a human face to the 6 demands constained in a memorandum that was handed over to the Parliament at the end of the journey.

• Film Runtime: 20 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Malay
• Subtitle Language: Chinese, English

Director

Soh Sook Hwa

Sook Hwa, a Journalism graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), was the first student activist to have challenged the AUKU/UUCA law at court in 2005. She had joined PSM in 2009 and later, went on to set up PSM’s first branch in Penang with several other local activists. At the moment, Sook Hwa is actively involved in activism at Kuala Lumpur.

DiSebalik Runcit (2015)

Muniandy’s independent grocery shop in Semenyih, Selangor like many others are beginning to feel the heat as more hypermarkets and chain grocery shops flood the market. The film explores the uncertain future of these traditional businesses from the Malaysian economic landscape.

• Film Runtime: 20 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Malay
• Subtitle Language: English

Director

J. Arrivu Jacob

Arrivu Jacob, an engineering graduate turned to filmmaker, book author and a techie. Currently focused on technology and IT sector, but the dream of making a full feature film still lit brightly within him.

Bila Kami Bersatu (2019)

The film follows the lives and struggles of three women from Malaysia’s national hospital service workers’ labor union as they collectively fight for their monthly wages to be increased to RM1,500. The film shows rare footages of their day-to-day life, challenges and risks in the struggle to improve the lives of workers in the industry.

• Film Runtime: 22 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Malay
• Subtitle Language: English

Directors

Minxi Chua

Writer, editor and filmmaker, with experience in media operations and production. Former Operations Manager at New Naratif. Currently pursuing a Masters in Creative Writing at Brunel University. Deeply passionate about issues of disability rights, women's rights, and social justice.

Asyraf Abdul Samad

Asyraf Abdul Samad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcasting and Journalism, and has worked for several news organisations in Malaysia, including the New Straits Times and The Star. He is an active member of Amnesty International Malaysia where he has previously served as the Youth Representative to the Board of Governance. He is currently the social media manager for the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center).

This event is part of FreedomFilmFest 2024, which is organised by Freedom Film Network (Pertubuhan Perfileman Sosial Malaysia), a non-profit society dedicated to the development and promotion of social justice and human rights films.

For more information, head over to our website freedomfilm.my