Fellow Malaysian writer, publisher and independent filmmaker, Amir Muhammad is not someone, whom you can easily miss. Already a man-with-mission, Amir takes on a more personal role on the late Yasmin Ahmad’s creative works and films in his latest writing, “Yasmin Ahmad’s Films” at the HELP University College recently.
Launched in November 2009, the book simply titled “Yasmin Ahmad’s Films” by Amir Muhammad has received tremendous response from the public, including students from the HELP University College. The rather unique book, with a half-eaten piece of green tea donut has six chapters on all of Yasmin Ahmad’s feature-length films (Rabun, Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin, Muallaf and Talentime), as well as several of her most anticipated commercials. As a writer, Amir decided to continue Yasmin’s legacy at imparting her passion and inspirations for local films to the students.
Organised by the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia Student Association (IPRMSA), Multimedia Society and the Bachelor of Communications Student Council, the collaborative project aims to raise fund for MERCY – Yasmin Ahmad Fund for Children through book sale. “Yasmin Ahmad has generously spent her time going around speaking to students about the state of film making in Malaysia, overcoming cultural barriers and sharing her inspirations for her films, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank Amir for continuing her legacy and spending time to share some of his thoughts and views on the book with us,” says Ridzuan, President of Bachelor of Communications Student Council.
The writer’s royalties from the book sale, in association with Matahari Books and Mercy Malaysia will be channelled to the newly established Mercy – Yasmin Ahmad Fund for Children. “My royalties from the first edition of 3,000 copies will go to the Yasmin Ahmad Fund for Children. This is just a small contribution on my part,” says Amir during his book tour recently.
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Three Minutes With Amir Muhammad
Hello, Amir. So, what’s your latest project?
Amir: Hi. Well, I’m in the process of writing my new book. It’s going to be called the “120 Malay Films.”
What about your amazing Indie film journey?
I’ve decided not to make any indie films at the moment. I’ll be quite busy writing my new books. I’ve set a target for myself to write a total of 10 books. In fact, I will be launching my new book titled “New Malaysian Essay Part 3” this coming June.
That’s really good news. So, what would you be doing after meeting some of your fans here?
I have a flight to catch later tonight. Basically after this tour, I’m going to pack my bags and leave for Paris to promote this book (Yasmin Ahmad’s Films) at the Pompidou Arts Centre on the 23rd of January.
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