Malaysian Cinema and Beyond: Genre, Representation and the Nation

• editor: Wan Aida Wan Yahaya

• publisher: SIRD

• published in: 2024

• language: English

In exploring the diverse landscape of Malaysian cinema, this book delves into the intricate intersections of genre, representation, and the nation. From the golden era of P Ramlee's musical comedies to contemporary horror, action, and arthouse films, the book charts the evolution of Malaysian cinema and its cultural significance. With a critical lens, it analyses how different genres have been used to express social and political issues, as well as how representations of gender, ethnicity, and religion have shaped the identity of the nation on screen. From the iconic representation of the ‘ideal’ Malay woman to the subversion of cultural norms in independent films, the book examines the complex negotiations between the local and the global, the traditional and the modern, and the dominant and the marginal. A must-read for anyone interested in Southeast Asian cinema and its cultural politics.

Contents:

Introduction

1. Cyclic Repetition or Trendy Mutation? Historicising Genre in Malaysian Cinema

  – Norman Yusoff

2. The Malaysian Fantastic Film and CGI Attractions

  – Khong Kok Wai

3. The Question is, Who ‘Sees’ Who? Omniscient Focaliser of the Saka in Bunohan

  – Norlela Ismail

4. Re(-)membering Bunohan: Magical Realism in Postcolonial Malaysia

  – David H.J. Neo

5. Representing Malay (Muslim) Women in Malaysian Cinema, 1933-1999

  – Mastura Muhammad

6. Myth ofa Nation: The Post-War Formation of Modern Malaysia

  – Wan Aida Wan Yahaya

7. Theorising Sinema Nusantara: A Transnational Film Studies Approach

  – Mohd Erman Maharam

Filmography

About the Authors