Saturday, June 23, 2007
Moving On...
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Returning from numerous encounters
I have been writing... but mostly elsewhere...I am just back in Labuan several times this year. My time is somewhat divided these days between here and elsewhere. Life has a way of ascertaining priorities...so for me now, most time, what I need to do is no longer a choice.
The rare choice that I got was to have met Yasmin Ahmad at a forum last night. I had really wanted to see her in person. The most controversial Malaysian film director around. First impression...it is not easy to like her nor easy to dislike her...She is the only panelist in all forums that I had been so far, that took a break whilst a forum was still going on. She simply walked down stage and tried to catch up with someone whom she thought would be a good character for her film. She had definitely a mind that ripples stereotype and status quo thinking - which I thought was not necessarily a bad thing. I would have liked to sit and talk with her, but the night was late, and I had to leave for Labuan early the next day. Perhaps, God will let me meet her again...
I had almost not gone to the forum. Lost my way (some friends would know that that was not unusual for me), but somehow the last attempt brought me to the Bar Council building where the forum was held. I was already terribly late...I guess, it was proven that deep intention will be a prayer heard by God. The same gist is reflected in the first hadith of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in Imam Nawawi's book.
Perhaps I should watch "Muallaf" (this is, however, not a promotion for her film), Yasmin's latest creativity. I should watch her other two renowned films, too. Maybe there is something there to tell me about her life and thinking. I would be asked on why my interest in Yasmin Ahmad...well, one scholar of Islam enjoins that we learn about history - though I never met the scholar, I hope that I am allowed to interpret the meaning of his advice as to include the learning of the history of people, especially people that have made an impact on so many others. Yasmin has sparked much debate about the issues she raised in her films...I think I would like to know her thinking better first rather than judging her.
Hmm...there could be a chance that she'll make a film about Lina Joy...
The rare choice that I got was to have met Yasmin Ahmad at a forum last night. I had really wanted to see her in person. The most controversial Malaysian film director around. First impression...it is not easy to like her nor easy to dislike her...She is the only panelist in all forums that I had been so far, that took a break whilst a forum was still going on. She simply walked down stage and tried to catch up with someone whom she thought would be a good character for her film. She had definitely a mind that ripples stereotype and status quo thinking - which I thought was not necessarily a bad thing. I would have liked to sit and talk with her, but the night was late, and I had to leave for Labuan early the next day. Perhaps, God will let me meet her again...
I had almost not gone to the forum. Lost my way (some friends would know that that was not unusual for me), but somehow the last attempt brought me to the Bar Council building where the forum was held. I was already terribly late...I guess, it was proven that deep intention will be a prayer heard by God. The same gist is reflected in the first hadith of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in Imam Nawawi's book.
Perhaps I should watch "Muallaf" (this is, however, not a promotion for her film), Yasmin's latest creativity. I should watch her other two renowned films, too. Maybe there is something there to tell me about her life and thinking. I would be asked on why my interest in Yasmin Ahmad...well, one scholar of Islam enjoins that we learn about history - though I never met the scholar, I hope that I am allowed to interpret the meaning of his advice as to include the learning of the history of people, especially people that have made an impact on so many others. Yasmin has sparked much debate about the issues she raised in her films...I think I would like to know her thinking better first rather than judging her.
Hmm...there could be a chance that she'll make a film about Lina Joy...
