KUALA LUMPUR: A biopic portraying the life of Sybil Kathigasu, a Malayan Eurasian nurse who served during the Japanese occupation in Malaya in the 1940s, is set to grace the silver screens next year.
The historical film, titled "Sybil," produced by Sangeeta Krishnasamy, is still in the pre-production stage, with the casting process underway.
"We will commence filming by the end of this year. We have been conducting research for the past two years. Our writers, both international and regional, along with a historian, are involved in the scriptwriting process,” she told Bernama after the press conference on "Sybil" held here on Thursday (April 2).
To ensure the historical accuracy of the story, the dialogue in "Sybil" will be a blend of four languages: Malay, Tamil, Mandarin, and English.
"We aim to keep it historically accurate. During that time, people of various ethnicities, including Chinese, Indian, Eurasian, and others, primarily spoke Malay. However, due to the wartime circumstances, certain characters, like Sybil, who assisted the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), were proficient in multiple languages. For instance, Sybil was fluent in Cantonese, which enabled her to aid the MPAJA as they communicated in various languages,” she explained.
Sangeeta said that it took her three months to piece together the information, given the challenges posed by conflicting facts on the internet.
"Obtaining relevant books also took considerable time, as documentation regarding historical events in Malaysia is lacking. Even the trial papers of Sergeant Ekio Yoshimura, who tortured Sybil, were hard to come by in Malaysia.
"I had to request a friend in the legal profession to search for them, but to no avail. We eventually found them only in the United Kingdom and Singapore. Searching online was not fruitful either, as few people were knowledgeable about it,” she added.
She noted that the film's budget is currently estimated at RM5mil but may increase during the production process.
Sangeeta highlighted the importance of consulting independent historians in Malaysia to ensure factual accuracy.
"We have had to connect various historians to cross-check facts and ensure accuracy,” she said.
She also spoke about her upcoming trip to Cannes, France, in two weeks to explore potential collaborations and network for the film.
"I will be attending Cannes from May 14 to 24. We will engage in discussions for potential collaborations, but the outcome is still uncertain,” she said.
Sybil Kathigasu is the only Malayan woman ever to be awarded the George Medal for bravery. She succumbed to fatal septicemia caused by a wound inflicted by a Japanese soldier on her jaw. – Bernama
