Ezzam Rahman, 28, is a full-time speech and drama teacher. Trained as a sculptor with a Diploma in Fine Arts from LaSalle College, Ezzam is also an active, avid filmmaker. Ghazi, 25, is a full-time student at NTU's Art and Design. He graduated last year from RP with a Diploma in New Media.
Ghazi Al-Qudcy (photo) and Ezzam maintain great networking, allowing them to be known in the local arts scene. Photo Courtesy of Ghazi Al-Qudcy
Ex-prefect and librarian of Si Ling Primary, Ezzam and Ghazi met again during a 'hateful' encounter in NS. From then on, the duo started off filmmaking, carving their niche in the local film community. Both of them are known for their alter egos, or the chemistry when they are put together, Sasha Isabella and Eton Waikiki.
The Sasha and Eton personas made their debut in the short film, Demam Jantan, for the Panasonic Digital Film Fiesta (PDFF), a competition similar, but predecessor, to the 48-Hour project. The theme was 'Fever' and Demam Jantan (Male Fever) is about two 'mak nyah's (trannies) who came to the cemetery and prayed there to get their boyfriends back.
"We were the only Malay film, but with English subtitles. We know that people were liking it. We didn't know until we searched our own names on the Internet (laughs) that Tan Pin Pin and Yuni Hadi sent the film to film festivals in Jakarta, Bangkok," Ezzam explained, "That's how, slowly, we break through."
Ezzam Rahman in an undated photo.
Photo courtesy of Ezzam Rahman.
From then on, there was no turning back. 'Guerilla of the guerillas', 'indie of the indies', Ezzam and Ghazi are permanent fixtures on PDFF. They have submitted throughout the years works like Mistake (Honourable Mention), Adam Up There and their 4th entry, Apa Khabar Orang Kampung (AKOK), which gained much accolade.
"We knew we could win. People call us the 'genre-setters'. We conceptualised in the train to KL. The film was a musical. We were the only film that was shot overseas. We relive the 80s; very skit, very sketch, slapstick but it's (our kind of) film," mused both Ghazi and Ezzam.
Many filmmakers, including pioneering Sanif Olek himself, have postponed or delayed productions due to the lack of funding. But funnily, for Ezzam and Ghazi, funding and equipment has never been an issue.
"We never take that as a factor. If we follow Malaysian filmmakers, group up. That's how you work and create that strong bond. Like paying it forward. Let's say this time I beome a director and a team helps me. Another time, another person will be the director and the rest help out. Follow the industry from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia," Ghazi methodically enlightened, "We don't care of how much we earn. It's all about the joy of collaborating, of having the same mind."
"We knew we could win. People call us the 'genre-setters'. We conceptualised in the train to KL. The film was a musical. We were the only film that was shot overseas. We relive the 80s; very skit, very sketch, slapstick but it's (our kind of) film," mused both Ghazi and Ezzam.
Many filmmakers, including pioneering Sanif Olek himself, have postponed or delayed productions due to the lack of funding. But funnily, for Ezzam and Ghazi, funding and equipment has never been an issue.
"We never take that as a factor. If we follow Malaysian filmmakers, group up. That's how you work and create that strong bond. Like paying it forward. Let's say this time I beome a director and a team helps me. Another time, another person will be the director and the rest help out. Follow the industry from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia," Ghazi methodically enlightened, "We don't care of how much we earn. It's all about the joy of collaborating, of having the same mind."
A film poster of a collaborative work between Ezzam and Ghazi, 'If Anything Blame the Govt'. Photo Courtesy of Ghazi Al-Qudcy
Instead, the loud, cheery-dispositioned duo puts heavy emphasis on the storyline, which many may neglect and fail to develop in the face of financing, technicalities and formalities.
Indeed, their films have a solid message and plot. I had truly enjoyed their works, like Ghazi's narrative documentary 'Blk 46', and Ezzam-Ghazi collaboratives like 'Hidden Treasures' and 'Reflections of Insanity'.
'Blk 46', though fictional, felt very 'humane'. It is about 6 individuals who committed a mass suicide. I was genuinely surprised that it was fictional because the narration and opinions by the people felt so surreal. To me, all the 3 films had a unique feel about them and touched on issues like death, transsexualism, intercultural relationships in a modern contemporary manner and can be accepted by everybody.
"Even if you have the best gadgets, but if your story is crap, it's crap. Perfection can be pretentious, raw can become beautiful. Look at the rawness of Yasmin's Sepet. But it's beautiful," Ezzam steadfastly stood his ground.
The local production scene has much to change. Ezzam and Ghazi agreed wholeheartedly that the local productions need to move on. They said productions like 'Hanyut' by Screenbox were relevant then, but people needed to move on. Taste and relevance, like how P.Ramlee did the Bujang Lapoks, are of importance to them.
L to R: Ezzam, Royston Tan and Ghazi Al-Qudcy. Photo courtesy of Ezzam Rahman.
"Melayu pasal cinta, gangster, gaduh. When we made (abovementioned) stories, it is different from the Malay society. It is unknown and untold. People know but untalked about. Think before you do. It all boils down to the responsibility of the artist, what message he wants to show. Take time to conceptualise, don't jump into the deep pool if u don't know anything," gushed Ezzam, "People say Malays can't do it and all that. Bull****."
If given the opportunity, Ezzam and Ghazi would love to have actress Pon Bachik of Singapore and Adibah Noor of Malaysia to act for them. Currently, they are working with The Substation for a documentary feature.
For now, catch Ezzam's sculptures at the Singapore Arts Museum. I am going to look out for their upcoming works like 'We the Citizens of Singapore' and 'Joyride', shot in Cambodia. YOU SHOULD TOO!
If given the opportunity, Ezzam and Ghazi would love to have actress Pon Bachik of Singapore and Adibah Noor of Malaysia to act for them. Currently, they are working with The Substation for a documentary feature.
For now, catch Ezzam's sculptures at the Singapore Arts Museum. I am going to look out for their upcoming works like 'We the Citizens of Singapore' and 'Joyride', shot in Cambodia. YOU SHOULD TOO!
This entry was written by
Singapore Malay Film Society
(SMFS)
'Nurturing and Inspiring the Passion for Filmmaking'
