THE SECOND LIFE OF THIEVES (2014) by Woo Ming Jin, which I produced, co-wrote and edited, has been released digitally on FilmDoo! So please, go and watch it, I promise you it's something different from this part of the world. It's probably one of the rare gay films made in Malaysia.
Aside from that, FilmDoo had also done a really cool interview with Ming Jin about the film.
I’ve read that The Second Life of Thieves takes inspiration from the life of your uncle. What was it that interested you about his story?
My uncle lived a fairly mysterious life, one that felt eccentric, and also boring. He lived in a small town, was married by arrangement, and never had any children. He was an alcoholic for most of his life. He was also very distant from his wife, who suffered his harsh temper and also indifference. He died young, in his 50s, from what my mother told me was liver cancer. But years later, I found out from my brother that he had died of AIDS, and that he was probably gay and lived a secret life.
This revelation made me think about the times when he was always the outsider, was always the uncle that never fit in. Being in Ipoh (my hometown), a conservative little sleepy town, didn’t help matters. I imagined the life he could’ve had, a happier one, and that was what sparked my interest in making a film that was inspired by him.
