Saturday, July 25, 2009

Yasmin Ahmad RIP

One of the best filmmakers in Malaysia has sadly passed away at the age of 51. She collapsed while giving a presentation on private television TV3 in Kuala Lumpur. She reportedly suffered a stroke and a brain hemorrhage, and although she underwent surgery, never recovered.

Yasmin Ahmad is well-known in Malaysia for her television commercials and is known internationally for her award winning films: Rabun (2003), Sepet (20o4), Gubra (2006), Mukhsin (2007), Muallaf (2008) and Talentime (2009). On her own blog The Storyteller she describes herself: "I am optimistic and sentimental to the point of being annoying, especially to people who think that being cynical and cold is cool. Everyday, I thank Allah for everyday things like the ability to breathe, the ability to love, the ability to laugh, and the ability to eat and drink." Her creative career was led by her heart.

The news is sudden and shocking. She was an artist in her prime.

3 comments:

Sam C. Mac said...

This is pretty devastating. "Mukhsin" was a favorite of mine last year, and I've been meaning to seek out more of her stuff.

YTSL said...

Hi Kathie --

No need to mince words. She was THE best Malaysian filmmaker. Probably ever. (I'm Malaysian, BTW -- and have seen a fair few Malaysian films.)

Have you ever seen any of her films? I hope you have -- or will be able to at some point. In the meantime, have you also seen the Youtube clips of her infomercials... e.g., "The Love of Tan Hong Ming"? They're very powerful bits of film magic and highly recommended.

Kathie Smith said...

YTSL, I totally thought of you when I heard the news. I spent some time today watching many of her commercials on Youtube. Of her films I have only seen Sepet and Mukhsin.