PETALING JAYA, Sept 12 — The first film of the ‘Orked trilogy’ in Sepet, from the late director Yasmin Ahmad, will be screened in Japan for the general public for the first time — 15 years after its release.
The news, shared by a Japanese fan account @yasmin_films on Twitter, announced that Sepet will be screened next month beginning Oct 11 in Uplink cinemas in Shibuya and Kichijoji in Tokyo for a limited run of two weeks.
In July, Japan held a month-long celebration of Yasmin’s works in The Legendary Director Yasmin Ahmad 10th Anniversary Special Screening to commemorate the tenth anniversary of her passing.
The event, organised in Tokyo from 20th July to 23rd August 2019 to commemorate the award-winning director’s life and works, was held at the Theatre Image Forum in Shibuya, with a special screening of her movies with the ‘Orked’ trilogy in Sepet, Gubra and Mukhsin.
“Alhamdullilah, when I was in Japan last month with my sisters, we were told of the plans,” actress Sharifah Amani who starred in the film told Malay Mail.
“The effort is by the same people that released Talentime in Japan.”
『タレンタイム～優しい歌』の #ヤスミン・アフマド監督 が贈る、もうひとつの傑作『細い目』。
— ヤスミンアフマド映画 (@yasmin_films) September 10, 2019
予告編が完成しました🎬
10/11よりアップリンク吉祥寺( @uplink_joji )、アップリンク渋谷( @uplink_shibuya )ほか全国順次公開。
※アップリンク吉祥寺では『 #タレンタイム 』アンコール上映あり。 pic.twitter.com/yADh6GqAR1
Yasmin’s last film, 2009’s Talentime was screened in cinemas in Tokyo and Osaka in 2017.
Yasmin, who passed away at the age of 51 on July 25 2009, has earned a Japanese following after Sepet won Best Asian Film at the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2005.
In the same year, the comedy romantic drama on interracial love won Best Film at the 27th Creteil International Women's Film Festival in France and Best Film at the Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards.
Closer to home, it dominated the 18th Malaysia Film Festival with wins for Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Ida Nerina), Most Promising Actor (Ng Choo Seong), Most Promising Actress (Sharifah Amani), Best Poster and Best Director.
