Amanda Nell Eu, director of Malaysia’s Oscar entry ‘Tiger Stripes’, makes statement on censorship ahead of local release

Malaysian filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu has distanced herself from the version of her feature film Tiger stripeswhich will be released in cinemas in Malaysia for a week on October 19 during an Oscar qualifying round.

The film, which Malaysia submitted as an entry for the Academy Awards’ Best International Film category, also won the Critics Weeks Grand Prix when it screened at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Eu says she does not support the approved film version for Malaysian theatrical release, saying that “the film shown in local cinemas is not the film we made.”

Tiger stripes It’s about a 12-year-old girl who is the first of her friends to go through puberty, after which her body undergoes a horrific transformation. Rejected by her school friends, she learns to embrace her true self and fight for freedom.

EU is not allowed to release certain scenes that were cut from the film. However, she describes the omitted material as a reflection of the “joy of being a young girl in Malaysia who may be different from the rest, misunderstood or feel the need to express herself differently from others. ”

The filmmaker also emphasized her connection with Malaysian audiences and the purpose of the film: “Tiger stripes was developed with Malaysians in mind as my primary audience; So to show it at home would have been the most meaningful experience for me.”

Eu is the first Malaysian filmmaker to have her film selected for the Cannes Film Festival. The film’s main characters are Malaysian girls who wear hijab, although many of their challenges – puberty, bullying at school and communication problems with parents and teachers – are not culture-specific.

Film censorship in Malaysia is overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is tasked with “reviewing and classifying films based on their conformity with the political, religious, cultural and moral values ​​of Malaysian society.” Filmmakers cannot challenge censorship decisions in court.

Amanda Nell Eu’s full statement:

Dear everyone looking forward to the release of Tiger Stripes in Malaysia,

As many of you know, Tiger Stripes will be released in a very limited release in local theaters on October 19th. It was actually so fun to see the hustle and bustle. I want to thank you all for this – Tiger Stripes was developed with Malaysians in mind as my core audience; So showing it at home would have been the most meaningful experience for me.

But unfortunately I have to say that I do not support the version shown in local cinemas. As artists and filmmakers in Malaysia, we are all used to having our work and voices censored. Although I am not here to attack the censor board, I would like to say that the film that is showing in local cinemas is not the film that we made and it is not the film that won the Grand Prix that won the Critics’ Week won in Cannes. .

What is censored in the film is the joy of being a young girl in Malaysia. A young girl who may be different from others, misunderstood, or feel the need to express herself differently from others – a young girl who is innocent and curious about the world around her and fights for her existence in this world. The ethos of our production company, Ghost Grrrl Pictures, is to fight for these voices and celebrate a safe space for free expression. It saddens us that these types of girls have to be censored from the public eye, and while we respect different opinions and sensitivities in our country, we wish we had more freedom to discuss things openly and not rush to judge and punishing each other or not punishing others, condemning and punishing each other. hiding from things we fear. This is what art does best, and that is why we love it so much and continue to pursue it in our lives: to freely discuss, question and express.

As an artist living in Malaysia, I am grateful that I can find ways to avoid having to self-censor my work. I have a great team and support network that gives me full creative control over my voice and the stories I want to tell. Because of this privilege, I have never believed or felt the need to censor myself. My producer Foo Fei Ling and I founded Ghost Grrrl Pictures to have that creative freedom.

We will continue to fight and urge all artists not to censor themselves and try to find other ways to deal with censorship in our country – we know it’s a big fight, emotionally and financially, and not to forget, that our safety sometimes put in danger. through this. But let’s move on, folks!

Allowing ourselves to be told what we can and cannot show and limiting artistic voices in Malaysia is harmful to our society. We’ve always believed that the power of art is to spark healthy discussions, listen to different voices and stories, and learn more about each other. In our opinion, the safest way to speak out, ask questions and debate has always been through art, and we believe and respect that the Malaysian public has the maturity to make decisions based on their own critical decisions.

That’s basically all I have to say about Tiger Stripes’ local release. We understand that this statement will cause financial damage to our company and many stakeholders and we sincerely regret it, but we also believe in our right to express our opinions on the freedom of our voice and expression as Malaysians.

Moreover, we are very proud to be Malaysia’s official participant in the Academy Awards and are happy that our Malaysian film is appreciated worldwide on our festival tours. Ghost Grrrl Pictures and our larger team will do our best to ensure that one day Malaysians will see the film in its full uncensored glory, in the director’s cut…but legally of course!!

Kind regards and THANK YOU for your support so far, Amanda