'Scoop' Mukhsin Press Preview

(mode : read a la gossip column in local papers kay)

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[Dialog di atas adalah rekaan semata-mata, tiada dalam filem sebenar]

Semalam (27 Februari 2007) di panggung 12, GSC Midvalley telah diadakan tayangan pratonton filem Mukhsin kepada pihak media, rakan-rakan produksi, penaja dan beberapa pihak lain.

Yasmin Ahmad dalam ucapan beliau sebelum tayangan mengungkapkan rasa syukur ke hadrat Ilahi atas kemenangan berganda Mukhsin (anugerah Grand Prix kategori juri profesional dan anugerah Special Mention kategori juri kanak-kanak) dalam festival filem antarabangsa Berlinale baru-baru ini serta terima kasih tidak terhingga kepada semua pihak yang telah menyokong filem-filem beliau dari mula.

Jika dulu filem Sepet hanya ada sepuluh salinan untuk diputarkan jadi jumlah pawagam yg dapat menayangkannya adalah sangat terhad serta tempoh masa singkat untuk memberi peluang tayangan kepada pawagam lain pula, bagi Mukhsin beliau memaklumkan dengan gembiranya terdapat TIGA PULUH salinan, bermakna lebih banyak pawagam dapat menayangkan filem ini pada satu-satu sama, "which is a luxury", ujar beliau dgn penuh rendah diri.

Antara yang menarik lagi adalah apabila beliau menyatakan 'dewan pawagam ini dipenuhi oleh kawan-kawan dan orang-orang yang memang menyukai saya, kecuali dua orang'.

Mahukah anda tahu siapa dua orang yang dimaksudkan itu?

Jeng jeng jeng.... mereka adalah pengarah/penerbit filem tempatan iaitu Puan Raja Azmi dan Encik David Teoh. Memang tak sangka. Well, begitulah sepatutnya dalam industri filem tempatan yang tidak seberapa saiznya ini... pusing-pusing orang itu juga kan, hari ini kawan bertepuk tampar cium-cium pipi silap-silap esok jadi musuh, hari ini bertikam lidah esok-lusa mungkin duduk makan semeja. Tak ada salahnya untuk memberi sokongan moral hasil usaha orang lain walaupun mungkin kita tak setuju dengan idea-idea mereka atau mempunyai pendapat yang saling berbeza.

Bagaimanapun kedua-dua mereka meninggalkan dewan tayangan sejurus tamat filem Mukhsin, jadi Miss Ted tak sempat nak tanya pendapat mereka tentang buah tangan terbaru Yasmin Ahmad ini.

Mukhsin mungkin tiada CGI, tiada aksi letup lompat bot, jetski atau kereta kebal, tiada perlanggaran pile-up lapanbelas buah kenderaan, tiada siapa mandi berkemban, tiada rambut yang basah dan tiada dengusan nafas berahi (aksi 'terganas' dalam Mukhsin adalah lagak samseng seorang budak yg memukul seseorang dgn kayu di kepala, aksi 'terpanas' adalah si Mukhsin dengan teragak-agak menepuk tangan Orked yang sedang kesedihan). But for me (the second time around watching Mukhsin, dulu on small projector screen and now on big screen) - it just gets better. Tontonlah dengan penuh rasa. RASA. 'Rasa'nya sahaja sudah cukup untuk memenuhkan ruang deria anda bagi kepuasan menonton filem ini.

Jadi pastikan anda tidak melepaskan peluang menonton tayangan Mukhsin di pawagam berdekatan mulai 8 Mac 2007 nanti.


P.S - Yasmin pesan jangan lupa memerhatikan lukisan dan tulisan berbahasa Cina di papan hitam dalam babak-babak di bilik Orked. Miss Ted harap kawan-kawan yang memahami tulisan tersebut boleh menerangkan maksudnya. Sayang, Miss Ted belajar bahasa Malaysia, bahasa Inggeris dan bahasa Arab saja masa di sekolah dulu.

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Previous post : Mukhsin mini review

what an irony

On the national newspaper's front page website today.

Closer view :

On the left...



And on the right...


So how?

COOL, eh?

1. Being cool

It was during a ride to work - at that time cousin Ridzi had just started his new job and he still didn't have a ride of his own yet.

He remarked that I'm kinda cool, actually, when he realized I was able to follow his babbles. Topic in discussion - Metallica's discography. What he forgot is that he was the one responsible for introducing me to The Black Album, Master of Puppets et. al. back when we were still in our teens.

How easy it is, eh, to be 'cool'?


2. "coolness!"

I just love using that word (complete with exclamation marks -!!-) for everything that I found remotely, well, cool.

Things like - Youtube, Domino's Chocolate Indulgence dessert (gila sedap I tell you - warm, gooey brownies swimming in hot chocolate sauce), colorful sticky-notes, new gadgets, TV adverts, even fancy stationery. Like that pen with its nifty name-stamp in its cap. Coolness.

How easy it is, eh, for a thing to be 'cool'?


3. cooling-off period

Did you know that the Bahasa Malaysia translation for 'cooling-off period' (in sales literature) is 'tempoh bertenang'. Hmm.. come to think of it, when you say to people, "Be cool, man", you could translate it into "Sila bertenang", right?

Coolness.

Mukhsin's winnings at Berlinale

• Press release from Berlin International Film Festival official site here.
• My mini review on Mukhsin here.

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Note the pluralism in the above title ?

(1)

The Generation’s eleven-member Children’s Jury of the Kplus competition programme of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival awards the Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film as well as the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film and Special Mentions to the following films:

The Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film
DEK HOR (Dorm)
by Songyos Sugmakanan, Thailand


A Special Mention
MUKHSIN

by Yasmin Ahmad, Malaysia

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(2)

The five-member International Jury of the Generation of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival Berlin awards the Grand Prix of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, endowed with 7,500 euros, as well as the Special Prize of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, endowed with 2,500 euros, to the following films:

The Grand Prix of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk
MUKHSIN
by Yasmin Ahmad, Malaysia

“A wonderful, almost magical atmosphere, enhanced by a striking soundtrack.
Poetic images of the closeness of a family and community.
A witty script combined with well-rounded and humorous characters: All this in a story of a friendship that daren’t cross into love, and a love for which friendship is no longer enough.”

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P.S - Mukhsin will be screened in cinemas nationwide starting 8 March 2007.

P.P.S - While typing this post, suddenly I saw Mukhsin trailer being aired on TV3. Pergh. Made me went goosebumps (of the feel-good kind lah). Alhamdulillah & congratulations, Kak Min.

Puaka Tebing Biru (2007)

The 'puaka' will begin haunting local cinemas starting Thursday 18th Feb.

Puaka Tebing Biru is Osman Ali's first commercial feature film. Famous for the risque movie Bukak Api (about a group of transsexuals) and the Ning Baizura-starred Malaikat di Jendela (a woman's struggle with a HIV+ husband) , Osman Ali joins the band of previously lesser-known (to commercial moviegoers at least) directors to make his mark at the local cinemas in a nationwide release.

[Trivia : You can actually view the whole of Bukak Api in five parts on Youtube. However please be warned that due to the subject matter, viewers' discretion is necessary and it may not be suitable for everybody. Link]

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The synopsis for Puaka Tebing Biru says :

CERITA TENTANG PUAKA.....

Ratna adalah rakan karib Ayu yang tinggal bersebelahan rumahnya sejak kecil. Ayu, seorang gadis lemah-lembut sedang dilamun cinta dengan seorang pemuda kampung bernama Mohsin.

Ratna yang mempunyai seorang adik perempuan bernama Atilia telah mendapat tawaran kerja di Kuala Lumpur tetapi tidak mendapat keizinan ibu mereka. Hati Ratna terluka. Akhirnya, Ratna tidak berganjak dengan keputusannya lalu pergi meninggalkan Atilia, ibu serta rakan karibnya Ayu.

Selepas 7 tahun berlalu, Ratna kini berjaya sebagai seorang petugas di unit forensik di sebuah hospital di Kuala Lumpur . Namun ada yang sesuatu yang menghantui hidup Ratna. Ratna tidak pernah sejak 6 tahun yang lalu. Bayangan seorang wanita yang sering menganggu menyebabkannya menjadi tertekan. Selain bayangan wanita tersebut, muncul pula seorang kanak-kanak perempuan. Bagi menenangkan fikiran, Ratna mengambil keputusan untuk bertemu keluarganya. Itulah pertemuan pertama, selepas 7 tahun tidak bertemu adiknya, Atilia. Setelah bertemu, Ratna dan Atilia mengambil keputusan bermalam di rumah pusaka tinggalan bapa mereka yang terletak di tepi pantai.

Pelbagai peristiwa pelik dan menyeramkan berlaku sepanjang bermalam di situ. Lebih menggerunkan apabila Atilia dikunjungi seorang kanak-kanak perempuan misteri mengajaknya bermain di tepi pantai.

Dalam perjalanan pulang, mereka bertembung dengan sekumpulan orang kampung sedang mengusung keranda ke tanah perkuburan. Apakah misteri di sebalik kemunculan bayangan wanita dan kanak-kanak perempuan tersebut? Siapa kanak-kanak itu?

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Ted says :

I'm gonna put up the review later. In the meantime as usual, enjoy the trailer :)

Campaign update

REAL Progress update :

I'm down to 58.0 kg this week dearies! That would be about 2 kilos after about 3 weeks ( I started on 18 Jan 07), although I still eat somewhat normally (i.e multiple karipaps after meetings, fast food meals a couple of times etc etc). Last year even after the fasting month I only managed to be at most 58.5, and after a week of Raya twas all back to the usual, therefore reaching 58-point-oh is a big deal for me. Serius, I myself also like, tak percaya. But the figures should do the talking :)

Actually the only time that I absolutely really stuck to the plan is by replacing my breakfasts with the shake whereas dinners and snack times are usually where I'd succumb to temptation. Tried hard to make healthier choices in food too as well as make time for exercise- I think this would be the REAL make-or-break factor that would ensure the success of my lose-weight-get-fitter goal. Healthier choices in food, so far not so bad lah. But exercise, man... still not making enough effort for this one. Saya cuba lagi minggu depan, ok.

Doakanlah saye berjaye mencapai cita-cita menjadi lebih kurus dan sihat ini ye. Aminnn.