| Lyna Mohamad |
FOLLOWING the success of its first film Yasmine, Origin Artistic is set to release its very first Bruneian Hari Raya flick in local cinemas nationwide on June 14, in time for the start of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
Directed and produced by award-winning director Siti Kamaluddin, the new film, ‘Hari Minggu Yang Ke-Empat’ (HMYK4), is a heart-warming drama-comedy about family forgiveness and second chances. It is the first Hari Raya movie to be produced by a local filmmaker.
The film stars Kai Anuar aka Babu Si Nur, Liyana Yus, lan Zulkifli and Tey Wan.
News of the film release was announced yesterday at a press conference at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT). Among those in attendance were HMYK4 cast members and production crew, including director and producer Siti Kamaluddin.
HMYK4 is the culmination of experience gained from producing Yasmine, and sees many firsts.
Speaking to the Bulletin, Siti Kamaluddin said the film is a breakthrough release in Brunei Darussalam. The director noted that for her, the creative process in coming up with the script and later on to produce the movie is very interesting, even from the language aspect.
“This new film is different from Yasmine, as in Yasmine a mix of standard Malay and Bruneian Malay was used, but HMYK4 is very Bruneian,” she said, adding that the idea of doing the movie came up while she was working on her new script just right after Chinese New Year.
“I thought, why not make a movie on Hari Raya as there has never been one on it, and it will be a good topic of conversation during our Hari Raya visits.”
“I hope everyone will come and support the film and get it trending with the hashtag #liatsekampung…. come in groups to watch it as it is always fun to have a good laugh together,” said Siti.
“Unlike Yasmine, this film is also a very interesting model for me, as I worked with a Brunei-friendly budget and our cast is fully local. Hopefully we can draw a good response for the film and maybe progress to making a few movies a year.
“What I find as a director and writer – and I am also involved in the production side – is that I have to work extra hard. We multitask and we work with a much smaller team compared to Yasmine and this is a much scaled-down project.”
On the choice of the cast, Siti said the new actors were selected after viewing audition tapes. However, Kai Anuar’s (Babu Si Nur) talent was spotted by her during Brunei Film Blitz, which Origin Artistic participated in as part of the Brunei December Festival held in collaboration with Brunei Tourism.
“During Brunei Film Blitz, I got to watch a short film of one of the winners – Kai – in the open category. I got to see Kai as a different character from Babu Si Nur, and I was amazed to see how talented he was… I had him in mind (as part of the cast) for the script,” she said.
Talking about local films in general, Siti said making movies is not just simply shooting and screening them in the cinema, but the film profession requires a lot of career responsibilities and involves many interconnected disciplines and skills.
“It is a very technical job but is also very creative and corporations play a big role in supporting the local film. This (HMYK4) is not just a one off television show… 10 years from now you can still refer back and see the movie,” she said. “For me HMYK4 is very iconic as it our very first Hari Raya movie and it will probably be popular in other countries as well. We look forward to the screening.”
Main cast member Kai Anuar beamed that it has been a pleasure to be part of the film and that it has been one of the best experiences he’s ever had in his life.
“I’ve learnt a lot in the filming process… from pre-production with rehearsals and script reading, right up to sessions with the director and the other cast. All this was done to build chemistry before the actual shooting, and to get a feel of the emotional states we should be and to familiarise ourselves all the filming dos and don’ts,” he said.
As for the star of Yasmine, Liyana Yus, the new film was a much less nerve-wracking experience and more of a chance to display the acting skills she has honed in the previous production.
“I just applied what I’ve learnt from Yasmine, and at the same time shared my experience with the new actors. For me perhaps the next challenge will be to progress from playing a teenager role as in Yasmine to a character aged in the 30s,” said the actress.
Siti expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support for the film from various corporations such as Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd, Brunei Press, Radio Television Brunei, Jollibee Brunei, Archipelago Development Corporation, Tiong Jaya, Sri Sentosa (Hertz), Cuckoo Brunei, Nazmi Textile Mall, Aiking Trading Co, Harwood, Golden Corporation, Colourland and Smart Paint, Rainfresh, and Brunei Halal.
She also accorded appreciation to the MPRT, Department of Civil Aviation, Royal Brunei Police Force, Fire and Rescue Department, the Ministry of Health, as well as her Brunei fans for their support of the film.
“I love making films for Brunei and wish to thank the Brunei audience for their continuing support. I hope to produce more films from Brunei to continue sharing our stories to the global audience,” she said.
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