MoMA to Feature "Filmmaker in Focus: Yasmin Ahmad"

Written by Jytte Jensen Tuesday, 13 April 2010 20:43

NEW YORK, NY.- "Filmmaker in Focus: Yasmin Ahmad", a tribute to the late Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad (1958–2009), presents her critically acclaimed Orked trilogy in its entirety, and a weeklong run of Ahmed’s final film, Talentime (2009), from May 5 through 12, in The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters. It is organized by Jytte Jensen, Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and William Phuan, independent curator. Ahmed, who was a discovery in MoMA’s ongoing ContemporAsian film series in 2008, when her film Mukhsin (2006) was screened, is called the 'godmother' of the new Malaysian digital cinema.

She created films that drew from experiences close to her own life. Her critically acclaimed Orked trilogy—'Sepet' (2004), 'Gubra' (2006), and 'Mukhsin'—is set in one of today’s most culturally diverse societies, and deftly navigates conflicts of color and creed, prejudice and taboo. Ahmed’s final film, Talentime, is a multi- character, multi-thread story that explores the rich tapestry of Malaysia’s diverse peoples, cultures, and religions with humor and finesse.

ContemporAsian is a monthly showcase of films that get little exposure outside of their home countries or on the international festival circuit, but which engage the various styles, histories, and changes in Asian cinema.

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