Farewell to the Storyteller

I had heard with much dismay about her collapse on Friday. I was away on Saturday with no access to the internet and only learned about her passing this evening. This is indeed a sad loss for Malaysia. She was known for her works of art having produced the award winning movies Sepet, Gubra and most recently Talentime. She was also the Creative Executive Director of advertising firm Leo Burnett and was renowned for her groundbreaking Petronas advertisements which taught us Malaysians, the value of our unique Malaysian culture. Most of all , she was known for her controversial if not radical views that challenged the conventions of everyday Malaysians. Her basic philosophy was to believe in the strength of the human spirit and believing in love above all else. Her stories cut across the racial divide and exuded with true Malaysian culture and spirit. She was brave in her subject matter, choosing to deal artfully yet realistically with tough and current issues.

I met her once while having lunch (she was at a nearby table) and could not resist getting up to congratulate her on her art (Sepet and Gubra at that time) and trying to find out the basis for the ending of Gubra (after the credits....) I got my answer from her with a frankness and true optimism that is her hallmark. I will leave her contact in my rolodex despite knowing that she is no longer with us.

Yasmin, your loss will be truly felt and I hope that there will be other Malaysians out there who will continue your legacy of true artistry and your honest insights into the lives of us ordinary Malaysians. You will continue to live through your works of art!