Telemovie: MENCARI HAJAR

MENCARI HAJAR, trailer.
Begins streaming on Hari Raya Haji 2023 on MeWatch and Youtube

The trailer

(Post WW2, it was common for newborn girls especially, to be given away for adoption. Many of these babies grew up detached from their birth families. Many adapted well into the adopted culture, while others may struggle with their identity from the detachment.)

Born Chinese, Hajar was given away as a baby to a Malay-Muslim family and raised as one. Her past catches up with her as Hajar prepares for her first Haj. How would she deal with the discovery of her hidden past?

Production: Shortmen Production
Director + co-writer: Sanif Olek
Original idea + script: Lea Samudera

Cast: Nora Samosir, Sharon Ismail, Joyce Harn, Michael H Chua

OST song composer: Mayuni Omar
Song vocals: Hazrul Nizam

The filming process: MENCARI HAJAR telemovie

MENCARI HAJAR, telemovie.
Begins streaming on Hari Raya Haji 2023 on MeWatch and Youtube

The filming process

During production, I try to find that sweet spot between what I am comfortable with and what the circumstances on set have to offer. I work with the parameters I have been given (…and in local television production there are many, yet remain loyal to my visual style - staying true to my identity - but importantly, translating the script visually without missing what the scene is really all about.

I remind myself there is a great and important story to be told and that one has to tell the story with sensitivity regardless of the circumstances on set.

My approach has been informed by great designers like Fritz Hansen, Hay and Zaha Hadid, to name a few. In recent times my visual style has been influenced by transformative industrial designers and playful artists. If you are not familiar with these designers, they produce designs that are minimalist yet very functional but, most importantly, organic and beautiful to the eye.

In the past my directing approach was often about being elaborate, but I soon realised that often these styles were unintentionally reductive as a consequence of being imitative of filmmakers famous before me.

My professional experience in long-form drama informs me that anything and everything that can go wrong on set, will go wrong. Thus experience taught me to constantly relook into the basic, minimalist yet innovative way to translate the script visually without compromising the story.

So in summary what I have learnt from these designers, as cliched as it may sound, is that “less is more”.

It is easy to distract from the flaws in core storytelling by overwhelming the audience with style, especially during post-production, when most of the time these distractions are unnecessary, a superficial and nice laminate to veneer the disappointingly flawed particle board if you like. But to continue the cliches, to each his own.

Thus, I go back to the heart, the performance of the actor and their interaction with the camera lens. I remind myself that on set limitations can still be overcome when you have great performances from actors and hardworking filming crew who are loyal to your style and always have your back. Through decluttering bombastic stylistic distractions and with circumstantial limitations out of the way I am freed to get into both the heart of the story and the souls of the characters.

MENCARI HAJAR stars Nora Samosir, Sharon Ismail, Joyce Harn, Michael Chua with Shahril Wahid & Sani Hussin. The telemovie begins streaming in MeWatch Mediacorp on Hari Raya Haji 2023.

Bilingual with English subtitles.

Directed and co-written by yours truly.

The script process; MENCARI HAJAR telemovie

MENCARI HAJAR, telemovie.
Begins streaming on Hari Raya Haji 2023 on MeWatch and Youtube

The scripting process.

The most important aspect of documentation is to go to the ground and actually meet the subjects about whom you’re telling the story.

I may be privileged to have researchers available to do the work for me, but nothing surpasses having real conversations with the respective profiles, to find that conscious connection with their life journeys. This explains why I insist on meeting the characters in person.

In Mencari Hajar, I have had the privilege of meeting 5 ladies whose life journeys parallel Hajar’s, the protagonist in the telemovie MENCARI HAJAR (streaming on MeWatch from Hari Raya Haji 2023).

Born Chinese in 1950, Hajar, was given away as a baby to a Malay-Muslim family and raised as one. Her past catches up with her as Hajar prepares for her first Haj. How would she deal with the discovery of her hidden past?

(Post WW2, it was common for Chinese newborn girls to be given away for adoption. Many adapted well into their respective adopted culture, while others may struggle with their identity from the detachment.)

The ladies fall into two camps; one has reunited with her Chinese family, the other has not and doesn’t want to meet them. The main reason for the latter is out of respect for the Malay family who raised her. In fact, even talking in private to me about that part of her life is regarded by her as somewhat out of line.

For context, around post-World War2, many Chinese newborn girls were given away for adoption to Malay families. These babies were given away due to many beliefs inherent in the culture during that period with having baby girls.

Regardless of who they are, they both seem to have moved past their respective traumas and now appear strong. Yet at times during conversations, there were hints of them being affected and even slightly bitter about having been given away.

The second arc in MENCARI HAJAR deals with victims of scammers. Research shows that scammers do not choose their victims. Anyone can be a victim. I chose a high-flying, career woman to be a victim to emphasis this important point.

MENCARI HAJAR stars Nora Samosir, Sharon Ismail, Joyce Harn, Michael Chua with Shahril Wahid & Sani Hussin. The telemovie begins streaming in Mediacorp MeWatch on Hari Raya Haji 2023.

Bilingual with English subtitles.

Directed and co-written by yours truly.