Screening of The Big Durian (Jan 13)

Time: 7pm

Venue: D'Space, 4th Floor, Wisma Oh, 60 Weld Quay, 10300 Penang

Directions: As you come out of the jetty or pass the jetty on your left along Weld Quay, drive on past the petrol station on your left. Wisma Oh is a four-storey building on the right with a tyre shop at the bottom with a huge red "Silverstone" sign. It's on the left if you come from the Jelutong Expressway.

Tel: 013 5900 339 (Ong) or 016 333 7678 (Kris)
Email: democracy4now@gmail.com or kris.khaira@gmail.com

1. What Barry Says | IMDB
by Simon Robson
2004, 3 min

Through animation and narration, Simon Robson explains why in his view the war on terror is actually a campaign against opposition of US domination, led by weapon manufacturers.

2. The Big Durian | IMDB

by Amir Muhammad

2003, 75 min

On the night of 18 October 1987, a soldier ran amok with an M16 in the area of Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. Due to the thorny circumstances of the time and place, his amok triggered a citywide panic and rumours of racial riots. Why did he do it? Why were Malaysians so jittery at the time? And what happened next? "The Big Durian" speaks to 23 Malaysians (some real, some fictional) to find out.

3. Discussion

Analyse, criticise!

Last screening of 2007 (December 30)

Time: 7pm

Venue: D'Space, 4th Floor, Wisma Oh, 60 Weld Quay, 10300 Penang

How To Get There: As you come out of the jetty or pass the jetty on your left along Weld Quay, keep going on straight, past the petrol station on your left. Then, look for the Silverstone tyre shop with the red sign on the right. D'Space is at the top floor of that building, Wisma Oh.

Contact: 016 333 7678 (Kris) or kris.khaira@gmail.com

1. Search For
by Lesly Leon Lee
11 min

Search For is a short film by Lesly Leon Lee from KL with a unique visual and sound experience to create a fantasy-horror atmosphere. Inspirations include Eraserhead, the 1977 film directed by David Lynch.

2. Other short films?

max 5-10 min

3. Discussion 1

15 min

4. Lelaki Komunis Terakhir

The Last Communist

by Amir Muhammad

2006, 90min

"A travel documentary essay, interspersed with specially composed songs, about the early life and legacy of Chin Peng, exiled leader of the banned Communist Party of Malaya."

- IMDB

5. Discussion 2

December 16: Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru"

Unfortunately, we were unable to get a copy of U-Wei Shaari's Jogho. We've looked around to get a copy of the film, but our effort in the past 3 weeks haven't been successful. So we plan to settle for an alternative... Ikiru.



Directed by acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo), the movie is about Kanji Watanabe, a bureaucrat who works for the city council. His life mainly revolves around his dull and repetitive job. All that changes however, when he realizes he's dying from stomach cancer.

Mr. Watanabe sets out to live his remaining year fully, and to contribute something useful to society. In his quest, he bumps into a former colleague from his workplace, who indirectly shows him the way.


Admission is FREE

Location: 3rd Floor, 60 Weld Quay

Time: Sunday, 16 December (7PM)

Dec2: "Brokeback Mountain"

Our last screening of "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" saw about 30 people turn up for the movie. We got the chance to hear the documentary's director express his own criticism towards the movie rating system of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and also got a first hand look on how the system works.

Also interesting was the fact that the people in the MPAA who review and rate movies are not known to the public. The director... Kirby Dick... actually had to hire a private investigator to find out who they were... with some surprises.

After the documentary, we had a discussion about film censorship in Malaysia, and a comparison with other countries such as Germany, France, and Australia.

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This Sunday, on December2, we will be showing "Brokeback Mountain", Ang Lee's famous (or infamous) film that won many awards in film festivals; such as the Oscar for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and the Best Director at the BAFTAs... among all others. The movie is based on a story by writer Annie Proulx.

I'm sure you all know what the story's about... considering the controversy and publicity surrounding Ang Lee's movie. Set in a time period in the 1960s to the 1980s, two American cowboys (Jake Gyllenhaal from "Donnie Darko" & Heath Ledger) are hired as sheepherders in Wyoming. Both men develop a romantic relationship between themselves. They both part ways, move to different ends of the vast United States, and get married (to women).

The two cowboys meet a few years later and continue with their secret lives, while at the same time, living the life of married men with families on the outside.


Time: 7PM, Sunday, Dec 2.

Admission: FREE

Nov18: New Movie - "This Film Is Not Yet Rated"

Yes, thats the title.

In this documentary, Kirby Dick explores the inner workings of the ratings board of the Motion Picture Association of America. While movies are not banned, an improper rating from the MPAA may cause distributors or cinema operators not to screen the film, for fear of losing revenue. For example, a children's or family movie slapped with a PG-13 rating might cause its target audience (families with young children) not to view the movie due to the rating.

Some interesting topics we can later discuss is the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia, and movie ratings for appropriate ages in Malaysia...


Time: 7PM, Nov 18 (Sunday)

Admission: FREE

November4: Fahrenheit 451

On October 21st, we screened the documentary "Sicko" to an audience of around 23 people. Michael Moore shows the inadequacies of the US health system and its effects upon those from the lower-income groups, as well as those who had run-in's with the bureaucratic and profit-oriented medical insurance companies. He contrasts this with the healthcare systems of Canada, France, Britain, and Cuba.

We had several French citizens who were in the audience, who could present their opinion after the show. They did agree that some of the characteristics of France's healthcare system in the documentary were true. But they also felt that Moore painted a very rosy picture of the system, giving the impression that its faultless. Other audience members also gave their opinions/experiences/complaints of the healthcare systems of the countries they had lived in; notably Australia, Germany, the US, and yes... the Malaysian healthcare system too.

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This upcoming Sunday (Nov4), we'll be screening "Fahrenheit 451". Another dystopian movie, the film presents a future where anti-intellectualism is the order of the day, dissent is outlawed, and all printed material are marked for destruction. Our protagonist, Guy Montag, works for the government as a fireman. His job description? Find books... burn books.

At first all is well for Montag until he has a confrontation with a woman named Clarisse, which starts to jolt him from his worldview. Just like the protagonist in "Equilibrium", he begins questioning the regime and its policies that he works for...




Location: 4th Floor, 60 Weld Quay (see sidebar for map)

Time: 7PM, 4 November (Sunday)

Admission: FREE

New Movie: Michael Moore's "Sicko"

This Sunday's (Oct20) movie will be "Sicko", a Michael Moore film about the state of healthcare in the United States. From Moore's point of view, he details how the expensive costs of medicine, insurance, and healthcare is affecting lower-income US citizens, with many struggling to obtain the funds to get treatment.

Location: 60 Weld Quay, 4th floor

Time is 7PM.

Admission is FREE.