Abang Adik
Press Play to start
Polish premiereTheatrical Screenings
Online Availability
Additional Materials
Film description
Abang and Adik come from Pudu Pasar, one of the poorest districts of Kuala Lumpur. They spent their whole lives on the loud, narrow streets of the huge market in the heart of the urban bustle they always dreamed of escaping. The younger brother, Adik, is a petty swindler. The deaf Abang is trying to break out of the precarious reality. The problem is, the brothers are not listed in any government register and thus cannot work legally. One day, when a tragic accident wipes away the brothers' chances for a better future, their relationship is put to a test.
"Abang Adik" is mostly a portrait of Kuala Lumpur – a gigantic urban melting pot of cultures, vibrating with different influences and languages, bursting with contrasts and aromas. First-time director Jin Ong offers a perspective on the multicultural space without losing the element of intimacy between the brothers, visible especially in their gestures and non-verbal communication. He observes them on the brink of the past and the present and in contact with the hostile city environment. He also asks questions about the future of his outcasts – how can trans people, people with disabilities, or people rejected by the system win the run-in with the urban Moloch?
text:
Łukasz Mańkowski
Lay Jin Ong
After over 20 years of working as talent manager, he set up his own production house, Moore Entertainment. The company went on to produce many of Malaysia's most important films, including "Shuttle Life" (2017), the first Malaysian production nominated for the Golden Horse Awards. Ong's feature debut "Abang Adik" received main awards at many international film festivals (including Udine FEFF and NYAFF), and was praised by the audiences and the critics.
2023 Bracia / Fù dōu qīngnián / Abang Adik
Festival guests
Lay Jin Ong
director
