15 Malaysia

15Malaysia is a short film project by Pete Teo which features 15 local independent filmmakers such as Ho Yuhang, the late Yasmin Ahmad, Amir Muhammad and others on their takes on sosio-political issues. Launched on 17 August 2009, each video will be released on the date mentioned. So far, Ho Yuhang's Potong Saga and Yasmin Ahmad's Chocolate has been released. Here's the video:

Potong Saga

Chocolate

Potong Saga is a humorous film about a Chinese boy's misguided attempts to open an Islamic account while Chocolate is a quiet reminder that even with our difference races, we are not that different after all. Out of the two, Potong Saga is a very funny tale. I laughed out loud when I watched it and it was in the middle of the night. Yasmin's film is a sad reminder that we will never be able to watch her movies anymore with her untimely death.

There are more videos yet to be released so go to http://15malaysia.com for more info about the videos and all.

Rest In Peace, Yasmin Ahmad

I guess, by now, the whole nation already knew and were in grief of the death of the visionary film-maker, Yasmin Ahmad who passed away last night at 11.25pm. According to report, she died from massive bleeding in the brain.

When I first heard of the news, it was through my friend's blog and later, in Facebook. It was already around 3am, almost 4 hours from the time of her death. I was with my friends in mamak stall when it happened, therefore, I was not aware of it.

I remembered there was a screening of Talentime being held in USM where she was to attend the screening. I was tempted to attend the event, but did not, in the end due to certain factors. Had I knew that she was to depart from us at the prime of her life, I would defy all odds to get a glimpse of her.

Many people associated her name with the award-winning movies such as Sepet, Gubra, Mukshin, and the latest, Talentime. But for me, it was through her touching Petronas advertisements that I most remembered her of. Her films and advertisements are often touching, real, and manage to capture the essence of racial harmony in Malaysia. A humble person, she will be missed dearly by her families, friends, and fans.

The passing of a seemingly healthy person shows that there's no guarantee in life. God can gives you all the comfort and wealth and health and God can also easily claims back His givings in an instant. Therefore, be thankful and always appreciate those around you and live life to the max. Life is nothing but a piece of glass on the edge of a table, waiting for something that shakes it off its balance and shatters into millions pieces.