#356 HerStory Films Project

The HerStory Films Project was launched late last year by a collective of feminist writers, educators, and filmmakers who are keen on creating spaces for Malaysian women to come together and learn how to share their stories with others using broadcast media. The group seeks to collectstories about love, sex, and desire from Malaysian women, with an emphasis on diversity and personal experiences of falling in—and out—of love in a distinctly Malaysian context.

The HerStory Films Project is a non-profit video storytelling and short film project that shares the real-life stories of Malaysian women from all walks of life through the eyes of well-known directors such as Bernice Chauly, Sharifah Amani, Mislina Mustaffa, Crystal Woo, and Mien.Ly.

The film will consist of five short stories, which is made into short films, directed by the five directors stated. These five short films will then be combined to become a full length film.

This would be Sharifah Amani's first time directing a film.

The short stories selected are..

1. Red Hibiscus by Susan Bansin
A story about a high school girl in a rural area. She has just reached an age where boyscome to matter. One particular boy catches her eye and possibly her heart when herfamily decides to marry her off to an old man who turns out to be the boy’s father.

Filmmaker:



Sharifah Amani

2. Still by Julya Oui
A young girl gave birth to a still born in a house with two middle aged women.eydebate whether to call the cops or to bury the baby and issue deeply and quietly inorder to prevent the girl from being stigmatized by society.

Filmmaker:



Mislina Mustaffa

3. Liebelied (Love Song) by Nadira Ilana
Yearnings and passion through poems.

Filmmaker:



Bernice Chauly

4. Spirited Desire by A.A.Lee
A love affair with a man who uses supernatural means to make her fall in love with him.

Filmmaker:



Crystal Woo

5. Ruby's Story by Ruby (PT Foundation)
Ruby left home at 17 to escape an abusive father and live with her boyfriend, Francis. The story chronicles her life thereafter: her work at a massage parlour (also a front for sex work) in Ipoh, their move to KL, her boyfriend's arrest and her turn to drugs, her sex work to nance the drug habit, her several detentions and escapes, a relationship with another woman while in Pudu prison for doing drugs, and her current, loveless relationship with a married man. There are some memories of her father beating her mother, siblings, and her, memories that make it difficult for Ruby to relate to men very well (although her relationship with Francis seemed very positive).

Filmmaker:



Mien.Ly

more information on this project, kindly visit their website, HerStory Films Project.
or you could email Alison Cheong at elleally[at]gmail[dot]com :)