Tuesday February 20, 2007
‘Mukhsin’ picks up two awards at Berlin film fest
By ALLAN KOAY
KUALA LUMPUR: Filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad never expected to win anything at the 57th Berlin International Film festival, but her film, Mukhsin, picked up not one, but two prizes there.
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International boost: Yasmin (right) and Sharifah Aryana posing beside a poster for the Berlin Film Festival in the German capital. |
In a telephone interview from Berlin, an elated Yasmin said she had returned to Malaysia after presenting her film at three screenings, when she received a call on Friday informing her of her win. She returned to the German capital on Saturday to attend the awards ceremony.
The jury’s citation described Mukhsin as: “A wonderful, almost magical atmosphere, enhanced by a striking soundtrack, poetic images of the closeness of a family and community. Witty script combined with well-rounded and humorous characters. All this in a story of a friendship that dared not cross into love, and a love for which friendship is no longer enough.”
Yasmin said she met with the members of the jury after the ceremony and they told her that Mukhsin was the last of the 600 films they had had to see.
“They said a lot of the films they had seen were very heavy and violent, and that it was refreshing to see something about a heavy subject treated realistically,” she said.
“When the jury deliberated on my film, they talked about human responses. This reinforces my belief that it’s humanity that moves people.”
Mukhsin, which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl who fall in love after striking up a close friendship, premiered in Berlin to packed houses and positive response.
“One of the nicest comments I received was from a man who said he thought the world was okay after seeing my film,” said Yasmin.
She received two certificates and a prize money of 7,500 Euro RM34,400).
She had attended the festival with her young star, Sharifah Aryana, who plays the female lead Orked in the film.
Mukhsin will be released locally in next month.
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