We've seen plenty of talented Malaysians making the country proud in the arts and films industry recently.
Now, we can add another name to that list.
Los Angeles-based, Miami-raised and Malaysia-born director Ng Jing Ai recently won the prestigious Directors Guild of America's 2019 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and Women directors awards.
The 26-year-old won in the Best Asian American Student Filmmakers category for her short film, 'Fleck', which was also shortlisted for the Best Short Film category at the Cannes Lions Young Director Award.
'Fleck' tells the story of an Asian American student, Jamie, at a boarding school who struggled to fit in until she was invited to an exclusive after-hours party hosted by the boys in her school.
She soon learns disturbing truths about the exclusive club and the price she has to pay to remain in it - her silence.
Ng, who also studied in a boarding school, told The Star that the story was her "most personal" yet but was not an autobiography.
"It’s a film that came from me reflecting on my experiences at boarding school and finding a way to dramatise them,” she told the daily.
Ng said that she deliberately wanted to tell the story from a female protagonist point of view as there were a lot of movies about boys in boarding schools, but not that many, if any, on the experiences of girls.
“We’ve all seen films about boys at a boarding school – 'Dead Poets Society', 'Scent Of A Woman', 'School Ties'. The boys in these stories struggle with the repression that thrives in these traditional institutions.
“And every single one of the films asks us to choose self-determination. They ask us to question what it means to be a man.
“But what about the girls? What does it mean to be a girl in a school full of these hyper masculine traditions?” she was quoted by The Star as saying.
Ng also said that she craves to see more flawed, real women on screen and it looks like she's doing it herself!
Growing up in Malaysia, most of us are used to watching content in many languages.
Subtitles are such a part of our viewing experience that we don't even consciously notice it at times and are often baffled by some Westerners' aversion towards watching "subtitled movies".
Ng grew up watching a hodgepodge of content - from Hollywood to Bollywood, Hong Kong to Korean shows, and loved reading Manga.
She said her exposure to different content, especially Asian ones, as well as her close ties to Malaysia culturally has shaped her as a filmmaker.
"All these influences, the clash of cultures that makes Malaysia so unique, it has had a big impact on me," she reportedly said.
Ng is currently working on several projects, one of which is a Malaysian feature.
Congratulations, Ng! We're looking forward to catching more of your work in the future.
Now, we can add another name to that list.
Los Angeles-based, Miami-raised and Malaysia-born director Ng Jing Ai recently won the prestigious Directors Guild of America's 2019 DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and Women directors awards.
The 26-year-old won in the Best Asian American Student Filmmakers category for her short film, 'Fleck', which was also shortlisted for the Best Short Film category at the Cannes Lions Young Director Award.
'Fleck' tells the story of an Asian American student, Jamie, at a boarding school who struggled to fit in until she was invited to an exclusive after-hours party hosted by the boys in her school.
She soon learns disturbing truths about the exclusive club and the price she has to pay to remain in it - her silence.
Ng, who also studied in a boarding school, told The Star that the story was her "most personal" yet but was not an autobiography.
"It’s a film that came from me reflecting on my experiences at boarding school and finding a way to dramatise them,” she told the daily.
Sharing a female voice
Ng said that she deliberately wanted to tell the story from a female protagonist point of view as there were a lot of movies about boys in boarding schools, but not that many, if any, on the experiences of girls.
“We’ve all seen films about boys at a boarding school – 'Dead Poets Society', 'Scent Of A Woman', 'School Ties'. The boys in these stories struggle with the repression that thrives in these traditional institutions.
“And every single one of the films asks us to choose self-determination. They ask us to question what it means to be a man.
“But what about the girls? What does it mean to be a girl in a school full of these hyper masculine traditions?” she was quoted by The Star as saying.
Ng also said that she craves to see more flawed, real women on screen and it looks like she's doing it herself!
The Malay(Asian) influence
Growing up in Malaysia, most of us are used to watching content in many languages.
Subtitles are such a part of our viewing experience that we don't even consciously notice it at times and are often baffled by some Westerners' aversion towards watching "subtitled movies".
Ng grew up watching a hodgepodge of content - from Hollywood to Bollywood, Hong Kong to Korean shows, and loved reading Manga.
She said her exposure to different content, especially Asian ones, as well as her close ties to Malaysia culturally has shaped her as a filmmaker.
"All these influences, the clash of cultures that makes Malaysia so unique, it has had a big impact on me," she reportedly said.
Ng is currently working on several projects, one of which is a Malaysian feature.
Congratulations, Ng! We're looking forward to catching more of your work in the future.
