A Malaysian English film called 'Temenggor' has been picked up by Amazon Prime Video and will be available for viewers in the United States and Britain.
In a report by The Star, Director Feisal Azizuddin said that the film was completed in 2017 but was never released as local broadcasters were just not interested.
"Being a mostly English language film with suggestive themes, no famous actors – only immensely talented actors – Temenggor was not warmly received by potential distributors and broadcasters," he said.
Starring Jacob Hii, Amanda Xavier and Amir Rahim, the film, classified as science fiction by Amazon Prime Video follows the story of a small tribe and how they are forced to deal with an old curse that surfaces.
Stills from “Temenggor: The Curse of a Thousand Bulans” (2020). Our second feature film releasing soon. #TemenggorFilm pic.twitter.com/Vdc3GbmCLO
— OhSnapTV (@OhSnapTV) February 7, 2020
A unique setting
The film itself was taken at the Royal Belum rainforest in Perak and keeping it as real as possible, some of the props including the shields, spears and other tools were specifically made for the film by members of the orang asli community.
So cool!
"This year, a new project partner came on board – Jazzy Pictures, the company behind One Two Jaga, Fly By Night and Nina Wu."
"With feedback from Jazzy Pictures' founder Joanne Goh, we did another cut of the film. This time, it felt complete," said Faisal.
Faisal also detailed that the film's title has since been changed to 'Temenggor: Curse Of A Thousand Moons' to make it more marketable.
"I'm beyond thrilled that the film is now accessible to a wide audience. It has been a long journey producing my first feature film, but the knowledge I've gained from all the obstacles along the way has been invaluable."
"In hindsight, I do feel there were many things I would have done differently. Since the film was made years ago, I've improved as a filmmaker and could clearly point out the rookie mistakes I made."
"Despite this, I'm a firm believer that films to filmmakers are like a time capsule; they reflect a time in your life and the journey to produce it," he said.
With such an intriguing plot, a beautiful backdrop and an updated cut, WE can't wait to watch the movie too.
Whatever it is, it's lovely to see a local film reaching newer heights.