The Malaysian director James Lee's Youtube channel, doghouse73pictures had become increasingly interesting recently. Not only is he uploading his short films online, both new and old, he's also uploading his full-length films online so that everyone can watch them.
Fittingly, the first feature film that he chose to upload is his 2004 breakthrough film, THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE. The film won the Best ASEAN Film award and FIPRESCI prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival 2005. That was one of the earlier films of a movement that would soon be referred to as the "Malaysian New Wave". Its place in Malaysian cinema history should never be overlooked. This film, with its festival accolades and such, would pave the way for other new Malaysian directors like myself.
After I met James for the first time in 2005, he was kind enough to lend me a DVD of this film. So I immediately watched this film with my high school pal Woan Foong (she later became the regular composer for my short films like EXHALATION, INHALATION and LAST FRAGMENT OF WINTER). At first, we were unused to its languid pacing and oblique narrative, but gradually, we were intrigued and mesmerized by the story. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it was the first film from the "Malaysian New Wave" that I saw. (this, and James Lee's short films would then be followed by Tan Chui Mui's TREE AT TANJUNG MALIM and Yasmin Ahmad's SEPET)
Anyway, THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE is about... a beautiful washing machine, or a washing machine that transformed into a woman. Or a time-traveling woman who used the washing machine as a time machine... my description may be wrong or may be right, it's up to you to figure it out yourself. :D
Now, go watch THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE.
The surprisingly overwhelming response for the film on Youtube had caused James to write this post on the doghouse73pictures Facebook page.
Fittingly, the first feature film that he chose to upload is his 2004 breakthrough film, THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE. The film won the Best ASEAN Film award and FIPRESCI prize at the Bangkok International Film Festival 2005. That was one of the earlier films of a movement that would soon be referred to as the "Malaysian New Wave". Its place in Malaysian cinema history should never be overlooked. This film, with its festival accolades and such, would pave the way for other new Malaysian directors like myself.
After I met James for the first time in 2005, he was kind enough to lend me a DVD of this film. So I immediately watched this film with my high school pal Woan Foong (she later became the regular composer for my short films like EXHALATION, INHALATION and LAST FRAGMENT OF WINTER). At first, we were unused to its languid pacing and oblique narrative, but gradually, we were intrigued and mesmerized by the story. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it was the first film from the "Malaysian New Wave" that I saw. (this, and James Lee's short films would then be followed by Tan Chui Mui's TREE AT TANJUNG MALIM and Yasmin Ahmad's SEPET)
Anyway, THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE is about... a beautiful washing machine, or a washing machine that transformed into a woman. Or a time-traveling woman who used the washing machine as a time machine... my description may be wrong or may be right, it's up to you to figure it out yourself. :D
Now, go watch THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE.
The surprisingly overwhelming response for the film on Youtube had caused James to write this post on the doghouse73pictures Facebook page.
First of all, thank you to all who had watched this movie online. Your support has given the movie a second life.
With the audiences now online and around the globe, I have finally found a more passionate reason to continue making independent films. As the cinemas and exhibitors around the world only screens big and lavish commercial films, which will be a continuing trend for a long time, independent films especially in Malaysia will have no space in the cinemas. Other than fighting for halls, independent films have to deal with powerful publicity and marketing machines of commercial films. This is the fact, and does that means independent films have no space in the industry?
So with your support, this crazy ambitious project of mine of building a platform for independent films will be a success. I always believe there are audiences out there looking for alternative films. This year I will be uploading some of my selected feature films online and the same time I will be churning out brand new short films, namely the first one Paper Crane Love will premiere in mid April. Other than that I'll be producing three horror shorts by young & new directors for the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in August. And by year end, I'll release an original action comedy web feature After School Complex.
So please subscribes to this page or the YouTube channel for updates and also with enough audiences we'll continue to bring more quality films for you.
And hence now I have to really say goodbye to my beautiful washing machine.
首先，非常感谢您对影片的支持，让它获得新生命。
网际网路之便利让世界各地的观众联系起来，也让我最终找到了继续制作独立电影的热诚。各地影展主办单位和院线长期把重点放在大制作的华丽商业片，相信是长期的趋势，这让独立电影，特别是在马来西亚，被冷落在戏院之外。独立电影除了要争取院线支持，还要面对商业片的强大宣传和行销机制。这些眼前的事实，是否意味着独立电影在电影业内毫无立足之地？
我相信您的支持将成就我的疯狂点子——专属于独立电影的平台。我深信依然还有很多观众在寻找不一样的片子。今年我将陆续上载一些过去的长片，以及拍摄几部新的短片，第一部是将于四月中旬首映的《纸鹤之爱》。此外，配合八月份的中元节，我也会制作三部新晋年轻导演的恐怖短片，并在年底在网络推出原创动作喜剧片《After School Complex》。
欢迎加入独立电影平台，订阅这个专页或YouTube频道，以获取最新的资讯。有了您的支持，我们才能继续制作更多好电影。
而我也要对我美丽的洗衣机说再见了。
