Sepet
Slit Eye
Theatrical release poster
Directed byYasmin Ahmad
Written byYasmin Ahmad
Produced byRosnah Kassim
Elyna Shukri
StarringNg Choo Seong
Sharifah Amani
Linus Chung
Harith Iskander
Ida Nerina
Adibah Noor
Tan Mei Ling
Thor Kar Hoong
CinematographyLow Soon Keong
Edited byAffandi Jamaludin
Release date
24 February 2005
Running time
104 minutes
CountryMalaysia
LanguagesEnglish
Malay
Cantonese
Hokkien (Min Nan)
Mandarin

Sepet is a 2005 Malaysian Malay-language teen romantic comedy-drama film set in Ipoh, Malaysia. Directed by Yasmin Ahmad, it tells of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl. Sepet is a Malay word which, in this context, refers to the 'slit eyes' of the Chinese.

Plot

A 19-year-old Ah Loong (who also called himself "Jason") is in charge of a stall selling unlicensed VCDs. Contrary to the stereotype of his social standing, Ah Loong is an incurable romantic with an unlikely hobby: he loves to read and write poetry. Quite content with being the Romeo of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes a sudden turn one day when a Malay schoolgirl, Orked, comes to his stall looking for films starring her favourite actor, Takeshi Kaneshiro. Love blossoms between Orked and Ah Loong, although social and racial pressures stand in their way.

In the end, Ah Loong is involved in a motor vehicle accident while Orked is going to England to pursue her studies. It is not clear if he lived or died until the sequel, Gubra which shows that Jason died. After the credits finish rolling however, Orked is shown sleeping beside Jason, both wearing a wedding ring. In Mukhsin, the third instalment, Jason and the adult Orked are shown to be living together. However, the adult Orked is not called by her name in this scene as the young Orked is.

Cast

  • Choo Seong Ng as Jason aka Ah Loong
  • Sharifah Amani as Orked
  • Linus Chung as Keong
  • Mei Ling Tan as Mah, Ah Loong's mother
  • Ida Nerina as Mak, Orked's mother
  • Harith Iskander as Abah, Orked's father
  • Adibah Noor as Kak Yam
  • Kar Hoong Thor as Pah, Ah Loong's father
  • Zehan Marissa as Lin

Awards

Year Award Category Recipients Result
2005 18th Tokyo International Film Festival Best Asian Film Award Won[1]
Ninth Malaysian Video Awards Best Film Won
27th Créteil International Women's Film Festival in France Best Film Won
18th Malaysia Film Festival Best Film Won
Best Original Screenplay Yasmin Ahmad Won
Best Supporting Actress Ida Nerina Won
Adibah Noor Nominated
Most Promising Actor Ng Choo Seong Won
Most Promising Actress Sharifah Amani Won
Best Poster Won
Best Director Yasmin Ahmad Won
Best Supporting Actor Harith Iskander Nominated
Best Editor Affandi Jamaludin Nominated
Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards Best Film Won
Anugerah Era Best Film Won

Sequels

The sequel to Sepet, called Gubra, was filmed in Ipoh, Malaysia and released in 2006. The third movie in Yasmin Ahmad's Orked trilogy is a prequel to both Sepet and Gubra, titled Mukhsin.

Adaptations

Theatre company Liver & Lung debuted a musical adaptation of Sepet in September 2019. Shafeeq Shajahan directed the adaptation, with music and lyrics by Shajahan and Badrish.[2] The adaptation was a critical success, winning Best Direction at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2020.[3] Joshua Anthony Gui and Badrika Baluch played the roles of Jason and Orked in the adaptation, receiving positive reviews. Theatre critic website Critic Republic wrote that the musical had an "unexpected quality, where audiences all cried, laughed and smiled together."[4]

Songs from the musical were released on Spotify in July 2021, to celebrate Yasmin Ahmad's 12 year death anniversary.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "18th Tokyo Film Festival 2005 : 22-30/10/2005 (TIFF) - Awards".
  2. ↑ S, Bissme. "Putting Sepet on stage". thesun.my. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Nathan, Lydia (1 July 2020). "BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2020 goes online".{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ "Yearning for Yasmin, Sepet Stays Faithful". 3 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "'Sayangku': theatre company set to release 'Sepet The Musical' soundtrack". The Star. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
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