20th New York Asian Film Festival

Aug 6-22, 2021

Photo: © NSP Entertainment Sdn Bhd

North American Premiere

Babi

In 2000, an ethnic riot rocked a secondary school in southern Malaysia, causing numerous injuries and two student deaths. Yet the confrontation never received media coverage, and the local authorities were apparently able to suppress the truth. Twenty years later, building on eyewitness reports, director Namewee (see also Nasi Lemak 1.0) dares to recreate the dramatic events surrounding the tragedy, deploying a Rashomon-style structure that allows for multiple retellings of the same central incidents. The Malay, Chinese and Indian students each receive their due, and the story gradually becomes about so much more than minority bullying and sexual abuse, eventually encompassing LGBTQ+ issues, multiethnic friendships, a rigorously authoritarian education system, and a corrupt police force. Bonus: the extraordinarily powerful rap song under the end credits, by the director himself. Do not leave the theater early!

Director: Namewee
Cast: Vincent Yeap Soon Sheng, Sathisvaran, Muhammad Aidil, Muhammad Alif Haikal Bin Mohd Fadzil, Mohd Hairul Bin Mohd Salleh, Parthasarathi A/L Sarathi
Languages: Mandarin, Malay, Hokkien, Tamil with English subtitles
2020; 62 min.

SCHEDULE:

Friday August 20, 6:30pm
SVA Theatre

AVAILABLE: Aug 20, 6:30 PM - Aug 20, 7:49 PM