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by Nomadic Chris, 30 December 2008
Tagline: One Chinese boy, one Malay girl, one unforgettable love story
Can love conquer all in this Malaysian indie masterpiece?
Taking the age old theme of cross cultural love and placing it into a totally new context, SEPET follows the story of two young protagonists, a young Malay Student called Orked (Sharifah Amani) and a Malaysian Chinese male called Jason (Choo Seong Ng). The film is set in Ipoh, Malaysia.
From meeting in a market where Orked purchases her favourite film, Chung King Express, from Jason, love blossoms as well as the issues that stem from their different cultural backgrounds. As Sepet progresses, it shows that young love is the same the world over; unexpected, forgiving with many challenges to overcome!
Given this context, the title of the film ‘Sepet’ in fact means ‘Slit eyes’ in Malay!
The main themes of the film are of course cross cultural love. The film also subtlety discusses Malaysian society as a whole. Despite its rich blend of ethnicities (Malay, Chinese and Indians), Malaysia has cultural and racial problems that are never too far from the surface. Malaysian government policies which favour the majority Bumiputras (Sons of the land or ethnic Malays) are a bone of contention for the minority Chinese and Indians.
The film focus is the love story but is also a love letter to the nation itself and its peoples many identities. It also allows viewers to learn more about the Malaysian Chinese whom through the generations have come to call Malaysia home yet are still sometimes on the outside looking in.
Young viewers will like this film for:
• An insight into Malaysian Society
• An alternative love story
• Love conquering all in extreme circumstances
Sepet is both touching and funny and also highlights Malaysian society in a new light. It is highly commended.
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