#SHOWBIZ: A story of grief

New Straits Times

01-05-2025

AWARD-winning filmmaker Dain Iskandar Said returns to the locations from his iconic film 'Bunohan', and again sets his tormented characters lurking in the dark swamps and a magical world.
Set in a coastal Malaysian village in the 1980s, 'Kulit Wayang' tells the story of Ramlee or Pak Lee, a reclusive outcast living deep in the dark swamps, talking to his shadow play puppets late into the night.
The locals steer clear of Pak Lee, believing that he committed a heinous act in the past.
Then, Dewi arrives with her mother, Dian, an Indonesian researching the famed shadow puppet traditions of the village.
While her mother does her research, Dewi befriends the local swamp kids, especially drawn to the mysterious but mute Ayu.
Egged on by Ayu, Dewi finds Pak Lee's lair in the swamps and becomes his student.
As the bodies of children killed by a man-eating crocodile start turning up, Dian starts to notice Dewi's increasingly bizarre behaviour.
Dewi seems to be channelling voices from the past who seek retribution but she is endangering her life.
FOLKLORE
The movie is produced by Mico Studio (M) Sdn Bhd, with Nevin Hiong as its producer.
The main cast comprises Fattah Amin, Pekin Ibrahim, Amanda Ang, and Indonesian female leads Reynavenzka Deyandra and Jenna Kamaratih.
In a recent interview, Dain said that 'Kulit Wayang' combines Malay folklore with wayang kulit.
"It is a fairytale exploring grief and loss, love and reconciliation.
"I was intrigued to learn that traditional Malay shadow puppeteers invent their own branch stories (cerita ranting), weaving new storylines derived off the main 'Ramayana' epic. So, 'Kulit Wayang' can be a modern take on the branch-storytelling tradition."
Dain said that children's imaginations have no limits, and in this movie that idea takes on vengeful and tragic consequences, especially on the lead character, seven-year-old Dewi.
"Through befriending a ghost, she helps shadow puppet master Pak Lee reconcile with his past and the truth of what really happened in his village long ago," said Dain.
TERENGGANU
'Kulit Wayang' was filmed in Terengganu and the screenplay was written by Dain, Ben Omar and Nandita Solomon.
Dain said: "In 2018, producer Nevin and I met and discussed this movie.
"We were about to shoot in 2020 but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed that plan."
Dain added that they filmed at a picturesque "black water forest" which looked enchanting, but initially the water receeded and they had to wait until after the completion of his supernatural film 'Harum Malam' in 2022.
IMPRESSED
When asked about casting multi-talented Fattah as the protagonist Pak Lee, Dain said: "I have seen Fattah in several movies. He is talented and Nevin has worked with him before."
Dain added that he was impressed by Fattah's commitment to the film.
"Fattah went out on his own and learnt from a dalang.
"He did very well in the limited amount of time leading up to the production.
"He is very focused and dedicated. He also bonded well with Jenna on the set."
It is Dain's first time working with the Indonesian actresses.
"We auditioned them in 2020. Then there was a delay due to Covid-19 and we could not use the first girl as she had grown up.
"Right before shooting we managed an online casting and found Jenna. She is very disciplined and focused," he said.
This is Dain's second movie after Bunohan which uses the Kelantan Malay dialect.
He said: "The Kelantan dialect is like a language of its own. I grew up there, and I love the way they use the language, full of poetry and irony."
FAN
The movie is Dain's reunion with Pekin who starred in 'Bunohan'.
"Pekin is always wonderful to work with, he brings a lot to his characters," said Dain.
Dain admitted that he has been a wayang kulit fan since his childhood.
"I grew up watching wayang kulit at the beach in Tumpat."
Kulit Wayang also marks Dain's reunion with Amanda Ang, who also appeared in 'Harum Malam'.
"Amanda's character is a quirky one," he said.
Nevin said: "'Kulit Wayang' has the potential to resonate deeply with Malaysian audiences."
Fattah said: "The film highlights our fading traditions with the hope that the new generation will not forget it."
Pekin said: "I have worked with both the producer and director twice now, and I believe they have made an entertaining and creative movie."