“I hate borders and I hate arbitary divisions between people. I simply want to make films about humanity…I find that in the pursuit to achieve success, we sometimes forget some basic human qualities, like kindness and compassion. I always try to inject these feelings that I have into any film I make, whether it is an advertising film or a movie. For me, film is an opportunity to remind human beings to be human again.” – Yasmin Ahmad (1958 – 2009)
From winning the Cannes Lion advertising award to being sought after by MCYS to create pro-family advertisements for Singaporeans, Yasmin Ahmad was shrouded in controversy and had her films rejected by her own Malaysian government because it dealt with sensitive topics that contravenes Islamic values. However, she stood firm against critics and had her films travel across borders to film festivals and touched lives around the world. She has left a legacy and also a void in the Malaysian film industry that will perhaps be hard to fill in years to come.
She has died – a part of us dies with her. But, a part of her will still live in us.
