The Mythical Filmmaker

With several impressive and not-your-garden-variety short films revolving around our Malaysian folklore female characters under her belt, Amanda Nell Eu is undoubtedly an up-and-coming local film director to keep an eye on.

- Lorraine Chai

The alumna of the Berlinale Talents has not only won awards with her work, but she is also the first Malaysian female director to have her short film, Lagi Senang Jaga Sekandang Lembu, shortlisted for the Orizzonti Short Films Competition at the Venice International Film Festival.

It’s not hard to notice that Amanda’s films take her audience on a journey that delves into embracing your gender and identity within the context of Southeast Asia. The enthralling part is, instead of having just regular human, most of the main characters in her films are mythical characters in our local folklore, like Pontianak and penanggalan.

PONTIANAK THE INTERNATIONAL STAR

“Lagi Senang Jaga Sekandang Lembu is actually based on a Malay proverb, which translates to ‘it’s easier to raise a herd of cows than one daughter’,” says Amanda, as she discloses the back story of the film that made it to the international film festival. To her, the proverb is a brilliant tongue-in-cheek expression and also a sarcastic way to describe the film as it is essentially about friendship between two teenage girls. There are no boundaries in a bond like that, even if one of them turns into a frightening creature later. Unlike the usual Pontianak horror films, it explores the themes of sisterhood and the love between friends.

Now that the Pontianak creature has been introduced on the global stage, the film director is pleased that the terrifying character has been well-received overseas. “My aim was to make it relatable to the audience, so they can feel my love and how sympathetic I feel towards the folklore,” she adds. Through the creature, she wanted to share what it is like to be a teenage girl who needs a friend, especially in facing life’s trials and tribulations.