Local filmmaker Chong Keat Aun stresses that 'Snow In Midsummer' is not intended to evoke anger between races. Photos: Handout
In 2009, Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat Aun discovered an unmarked, run-down cemetery near Sungai Buloh Hospital while attending a demonstration on leprosarium preservation.
It was here, he learned that the graves belonged to the victims of the “May 13 incident”.
This tragic event occurred in 1969 when racial riots erupted in Kuala Lumpur after the ruling Alliance Party lost seats to the Democratic Action Party and Parti Gerakan in the general election.
The riots resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.
While official reports place the death toll at 196, other sources claim the number is closer to 600.
Determined to shed light on the untold stories of the May 13 incident victims, Chong began research for what would be his latest feature film, Snow In Midsummer.
Every year during the Qing Ming Festival and on May 13, he would patiently wait at the cemetery, hoping to meet the victims’ families and hear their stories.
His initial idea was to create a documentary, but it proved to be challenging as many families feared reigniting race-related tensions.
“Many were reluctant to appear on camera, so I settled for a feature-length film instead. Even then, it was difficult to convince local talents to hop on board as they were worried the movie would be too sensitive,” the 46-year-old told StarLifestyle.
In his second feature film, Chong wanted to narrate the stories of 14 women he interviewed at the graveyard.
But there was one problem: Most local actresses declined the offer to appear in the movie upon learning about its subject matter.
“I continued my search for talents in Taiwan, where Wan Fang accepted the lead role and came to Malaysia to film,” said the Golden Horse Award-winner for Best New Director.
All about trust
With limited options available, Chong decided to streamline his narrative by focusing on two main characters, instead of the original 14.
The first is Ah Eng (Wan Fang), a composite of the experiences of the 14 women Chong interviewed.
The second is Dou E (Pearlly Chua), a Chinese opera singer.
According to Chong, Chua was the first Malaysian actress who agreed to star in Snow In Midsummer. This was largely due to the trust she had in him.
Wan Fang (left) and Pearlly Chua star as Ah Eng and Dou E respectively.
“Keat Aun is somebody I’ve known since 2007. He’s a person who’s very grounded in what he wants to do and uses his art to enrich lives.
“I admire his sense of humanity, and this story definitely reflects that. I can only say that I was moved by his passion,” the 68-year-old shared with StarLifestyle.
Refusing to stay in her comfort zone, the actress – who has over three decades of experience in English-language theatre – is always on the lookout for roles that offer new learning opportunities.
In this case, it was singing Cantonese opera.
“I don’t read and write Mandarin, but I was exposed to Cantonese opera since I was a little girl as my mother would have it playing in the house all day long.
“Singing Cantonese opera is one thing but singing while acting is another.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I’m grateful to the producer and director for having faith that I could do it in three months,” she said, adding that she was coached by a Cantonese opera maestro.
Local actress Pauline Tan, who portrays Ah Eng’s mother, also had full confidence in Chong’s vision.
Tan said she knew she was “in good hands” upon being offered the role.
“I didn’t think too much because it’s so rare to come across a filmmaker who’s so daring and brave to tackle this theme,” the 33-year-old explained.
Pauline Tan, who plays a mother of Nyonya descent, spent two months going through articles about the incident.
To deliver a realistic performance, Tan studied multiple clips and recordings provided by Chong, focusing on how her character should speak and carry herself.
“It took two months to go through the articles Keat Aun sent me too,” she added.
On the big screens back home
Snow In Midsummer is divided into two parts.
The first is set on May 13, 1969, where a young Ah Eng (Lim Koet Yenn) and her mother (Tan) are watching a Cantonese opera, which centres on Dou E (Chua), when a riot breaks out.
Ah Eng and her mother manage to find refuge with the theatre troupe, but her brother (Teoh Wei Hern) and father (Peter Yu), who went to watch a movie at the Majestic Theatre, aren’t as lucky.
The second part of the film jumps to 2018, where a grief- stricken, middle-aged Ah Eng (Wan Fang) returns to Kuala Lumpur in search of her missing family members.
Her quest leads her to a dilapidated cemetery with unmarked graves, where she bumps into the grieving Dou E.
The pair then recount the May 13 incident which led to the loss of their loved ones.
Snow In Midsummer enjoyed its global premiere in September 2023 at the Giornate degli Autori, an independent section of Venice Film Festival.
'Snow In Midsummer' premiered in Malaysia on July 18.
The film was screened at the New York Asian Film Festival in North America on July 22.
It scored nine nominations at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, winning in the Best Sound Effects category, and was also named Best Film In The Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language) at the 2024 Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Despite its string of accolades, the movie underwent four rounds of review by the Film Censorship Board over six months before it was approved for a nationwide screening in Malaysia.
Some scenes had to be cut while a few lines of dialogue had to be muted, according to reports.
During a recent press conference in KL, Chong expressed gratitude that his movie has finally hit cinemas back home.
The film began screening here on July 18.
“This is a story about the wounded historical survivors. Having it screened in my home country is a miracle and a small step forward,” he said.
Chong also told StarLifestyle that Snow In Midsummer is not intended to evoke anger between races.
Instead, it calls on the public to focus on and empathise with the survivors and families of victims who continue to grieve and seek answers to this day.
“Let this film serve as a milestone to help bring us a step forward in discussing the sensitive issue that has plagued our country for 55 years,” he added.
Snow In Midsummer is showing in cinemas nationwide.
