Amanda Nell Eu Is First Malaysian Female Filmmaker To Get Invited To Cannes For Tiger Stripes
Amanda Nell Eu’s Tiger Stripes is the first Malaysian film to be featured in Cannes since 2010.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest stories and updates.
A Malaysian horror film called Tiger Stripes is in the running for the prestigious Caméra d’Or prize, which is an award for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes’ selections (Official Selection, Directors’ Fortnight or International Critics’ Week).
Directed by Amanda Nell Eu and produced by Foo Fei Ling, this film was produced by Ghost Grrrl Pictures, a young film company started by both of them that produces female-centric stories coming from the South East Asian region.
Besides that, Tiger Stripes is a co-joined effort production from 8 countries, with Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Qatar all contributing to the film.
About Tiger Stripes
Tiger Stripes tells a story of a 12-year-old Zaffan, who struggles with puberty and discovers her body morphs in a terrifying way. Zaffan’s friends turn against her and attack her, when all hysteria breaks loose – one by one teenage girl drop to the floors in fits, turning it into an epidemic spread of mass hysteria across the school. Rumours about Zaffan’s monstrous transformation have made everyone fear her.
In an attempt to drive away the demon inside, Zaffan is forced into an exorcism using extreme methods of shame and torture. And like a tiger who has been dragged out of its habitat and poked because we fear it because we don’t know it, Zaffan finally stands up and decides to reveal what she has been hiding – her true self, her wrath, her rage and her beauty, to everyone.
This Malay-language film stars three new talents, Zafreen Zairizal, Deena Ezral, and Piqa, alongside veteran local actors Shaheizy Sam (Polis Evo 3 – 2023), Jun Lojong (Roh – 2019), and Fatimah Abu Bakar (Imaginur – 2022). It will soon premiere in cinemas in Malaysia.
It has also received the Creative Industry Recovery Grant (PENJANA) from the Ministry of Communications and Digital for its production in Malaysia and this further highlights the film’s significance for the local industry.
Just two nights ago, Amanda was also seen with Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil and Malaysian International Actress, Michelle Yeoh at Berjaya Times Square Hotel in KL.
READ MORE: Michelle Yeoh Says Malaysia Plays An Integral Part In Her Life
Cannes International Critics’ Week (Semaine de la critique)
The Cannes Critics’ Week or International Critics’ Week (Semaine de la critique) is said to be a parallel section of the prestigious 2023 Cannes Film Festival that aims to pave the way to discovering new international talents. This 62nd edition of the Cannes Critics’ Week only focuses on first and second-time works and will be held from May 17 to 25 in France.
It is said that Critics’ Week has discovered a lot of famous filmmakers including Mexican filmmakers Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant, Babel, Birdman), and Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Crimson’s Peak, Pacific Rim), as well as Hong Kong’s filmmaker Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster, Happy Together, 2046).
Previously, several Malaysians went to the Cannes Film Festival with their feature films; U-Wei Haji Saari with “Kaki Bakar” (1995), Chris Chong Chan Fui with “Karaoke,” (2009) and Woo Ming Jin with “The Tiger Factory” (2010).
Wanna know more about our Malaysian talents that have been featured in Cannes? Read the article below.
READ MORE: Celebrating Malaysians Who Put The “Can” At Cannes
The selection of Tiger Stripes marks a significant milestone for the Malaysian film industry and marks the first time that a Malaysian female filmmaker has been invited to Cannes.
Way to go Amanda!
READ MORE: Malaysian Thriller ‘Stone Turtle’ Wins Fipresci Prize At Locarno Film Festival
READ MORE: M’sian Sci-Fi Film ‘Imaginur’ To Compete In New York Asian Film Festival 2022
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
