It was a simple documentary telling a tale of family love in Malaysia yet it has the power to move even international audiences to tears.

Entitled Absent Without Leave, it was shown in film festivals in Korea, Taiwan and most recently Singapore where it won the Singapore International Film Festival’s Audi­ence Award on Sunday.

The 85-minute film, directed by Perakian Lau Kek Hua, was dedicated to telling a story of his communist grandfather – a man his family hardly knew.

The 37-year-old had to locate his grandfather’s former comrades those who had personally known him – in the Malayan Communist Party (CPM) all the way in Thailand, China and even Hong Kong.

“I must stress that this film is not about communists. It does not mean I support their political ideologies. The reason for filming this documentary is to find out about a grandfather whom I had never known,” he said.

Lau, who is estranged from his father Lau Soon Chin, admitted that he faced heavy resistance when he told him of the film’s idea some five years ago.

“He did not want everyone to know that our grandpa was a communist. Since young, we were asked to pay our respects to his portrait at home yet we were never told who he (our grandpa) was.

“I believe it is the stigma associated with the communist insurgency back in the day,” he said.

Lau hoped that such a documentary could help heal the wounds caused by civil conflicts in Malaysia’s past.

Absent Without Leave is now shown across cinemas in Taiwan, but Lau hopes to bring it onto the big screens back in Malaysia.

“Not only should it tell a story of my own grandpa, it would be better if I could work together with a Malay film director to tell a story of his grandfather who had fought on the side of the British Army.

“Only then, can it be a truly Malaysian movie,” he said.

The movie took five years to complete and had cost RM80,000.

Lau was born in Sitiawan, Perak and is now pursuing a filmmaking career in Taipei.

He has twice won the Best Short Film Award and once the Best Director Award at the Golden Harvest Awards.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by ADRIAN CHAN

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]