MALAYSIA’S inaugural crowd-funded and locally-produced film, “Pendatang,“ has garnered widespread acclaim following its YouTube premier on Dec 21.
The film, lasting one hour and 38 minutes, was released without advertisements on YouTube at 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Set against the backdrop of a Segregation Act dividing Malaysians into designated areas based on their race, the movie revolves around a Cantonese-speaking family compelled to move to a kampung house.
The family faces challenges when they discover a Malay girl hiding in the attic, with the narrative unfolding in a fictional version of Malaysia torn apart by the ‘927 Incident’ tragedy and the secession of Sarawak and Sabah.
Directed by Ng Ken Kin and written by Lim Boon Siang, who won a scriptwriting competition by Kuman Pictures in 2019, “Pendatang” was released on YouTube by the movie studio to avoid censorship and maintain its non-profit commitment stated on the Indiegogo crowd funding campaign page.
In the first two hours of its premier, the film accumulated over 20,000 views and has since reached more than 258,000 views on YouTube. Malaysian netizens praised the film, emphasizing its focus on unity and expressing hope that it would not be taken down by the censorship board.
Positive comments flooded the YouTube section, with viewers appreciating the movie’s themes of unity and highlighting the importance of living harmoniously in a diverse nation. Many lauded the production team and the actors, declaring it the best movie they had watched in 2023.
In summary, the feedback overwhelmingly celebrated the film for portraying the precious unity of Malaysians that forms the bedrock of the nation.