Malaysia to screen first ever movie about gays
Source: Agencies |
November 12, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MALAYSIA'S first gay-themed film, which will open in cinemas in February, is set to raise eyebrows in this mainly Muslim Southeast Asian country, where homosexuality remains a taboo subject.
The Malay language "...Dalam Botol" ("... In a Bottle") tells the story of the relationship between Ruby, a transsexual Muslim man, and her wayward male lover Ghaus.
The movie offers no racy love scenes to survive scrutiny by the country's film censors, but will set a precedent in a nation where sex between males is a legal offence under the country's criminal laws, and where homosexuality is rarely discussed in public.
"This is the first movie in Malaysia about gays, and it's going to get attention because it's different," said Wan Raja, who plays Ghaus, after a preview screening in the capital.
Malaysia only allows films to feature homosexuality if the characters repent or are killed off, and those characters are usually minor. This is the first movie with an entirely gay theme.
Producer Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman said the movie was based on the life of a friend and that her intention was to offer a glimpse into the life of a transsexual.
She submitted her script not only to the country's national Censorship Board for approval, but also to Malaysia's official Islamic authority for advice.
"I told them the title of the film was 'Penis in a Bottle' and that it was a gay movie about a transsexual, and they said why are you doing this?" said Raja Azmi.
The Islamic authority ultimately approved the script as it included Ruby's eventual regret over her sex-change operation. But the title, which refers to how Ruby keeps her removed male genitalia in a bottle, was rejected.
The Malay language "...Dalam Botol" ("... In a Bottle") tells the story of the relationship between Ruby, a transsexual Muslim man, and her wayward male lover Ghaus.
The movie offers no racy love scenes to survive scrutiny by the country's film censors, but will set a precedent in a nation where sex between males is a legal offence under the country's criminal laws, and where homosexuality is rarely discussed in public.
"This is the first movie in Malaysia about gays, and it's going to get attention because it's different," said Wan Raja, who plays Ghaus, after a preview screening in the capital.
Malaysia only allows films to feature homosexuality if the characters repent or are killed off, and those characters are usually minor. This is the first movie with an entirely gay theme.
Producer Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman said the movie was based on the life of a friend and that her intention was to offer a glimpse into the life of a transsexual.
She submitted her script not only to the country's national Censorship Board for approval, but also to Malaysia's official Islamic authority for advice.
"I told them the title of the film was 'Penis in a Bottle' and that it was a gay movie about a transsexual, and they said why are you doing this?" said Raja Azmi.
The Islamic authority ultimately approved the script as it included Ruby's eventual regret over her sex-change operation. But the title, which refers to how Ruby keeps her removed male genitalia in a bottle, was rejected.
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