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The Elephant and the Sea

Forum of Independents - Competition 2007 / The Elephant and the Sea / Malaysia, Netherlands 2007

An elephant has disappeared and its owner must live without it. The sea has withdrawn again, but the after-effects are still visible. The inhabitants of a coastal village make the best of it, using any means they can. The film’s fragments and impressions evoke the special ambience of life in a contemporary tropical Malaysian village. An example of Malaysia’s internationally acclaimed independent cinema.

The Elephant and the Sea The Elephant and the Sea

Synopsis

An elephant has disappeared and its owner has to make do without it. The sea has retreated, but all the harm it has done is still visible. The inhabitants of a coastal village try to make the best of it, on both sides of the law. Yun Ding does all kinds of things to make ends meet, even putting down planks in the road with nails hammered into them so he can then mend the punctured tyres... Silent fisherman Ah Ngau was at sea for days and when he came back, he discovered his wife had died. His coastal village is under quarantine due to a mysterious disease and he is forced to spend some time in the nearby city. The film leaves many questions unanswered. But together the fragments and impressions evoke the special atmosphere of life in a contemporary tropical Malaysian village.

About the film

95 min / Color, DIGIBETA

Director Woo Ming Jin / Screenplay Woo Ming Jin / Dir. of Photography Chan Hai Liang / Music Ronnie Khoo / Editor Kok Kai Foong / Producer Woo Ming Jin / Production Greenlight Pictures / Cast Berg Lee, Chung Kok Keong, Ng Meng Hui / Contact Da Huang Pictures

About the director

Woo Ming Jin

Woo Ming Jin (b. 1976, Malaysia) studied film and TV production in California and worked on several television shows and commercials. In addition, he has worked as a screenwriter, cameraman and editor on productions such as The Amber Sexalogy, Wind Chimes and the documentary The Custodial Code. He made his feature debut in 2006 with Monday Morning Glory, which was screened in Berlin. Films: Love for Dogs (2003, short), It’s Possible Your Heart Cannot Be Broken (2005, short), Salon (2005), Monday Morning Glory (2006), The Elephant and the Sea (2007).

Contacts

Da Huang Pictures
a. 4, Lrg. SS1/20A, Kg. Tunku, Petaling Jaya, 47300, Selangor
Malaysia
Phone: +603 787 730 14
Fax: +603 787 780 14
E-mail: [email protected]

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