NOOB FILM REVIEW - Hassan's Homecoming (1954) by Mohd Zain bin Hussain

THE STATE OF THE CINEMA (and the country)

Back in August last year, I had the privilege to witness the screening of a docudrama from the 1954 made in Malaya by Mohd Zain Hussain with the Malayan Film Unit, called HASSAN'S HOMECOMING, organised by GALERI PETRONAS and Speaker, Pak Hassan Abd Muthalib.

SYNOPSIS

It was story of Hassan who had to come back to his hometown to pay his ill father a visit. He is then got stuck in the middle between modernity and old beliefs when the family refused to take his father to the hospital for treatment but instead keep him at home and recited the Koran around him, until he passes away.

Disappointed, Hassan decided to leave his family because of their refusal to change and grow which lead to the death of his father, and also the in-fighting to own the ancestral land left behind. His sister though, managed to persuade him to stay and help them who are also stuck in debt.

And so Hassan did.

He stayed, lead the family, worked the paddy field and paid off the family debt bit by bit until they are totally re-paid.

REVIEW

I have a very short term memory and since this screening and appreciation was done last year, I might miss few important points about the whole docudrama. For that I apologize in advance.

The main thing that stayed with me about this docudrama is how the film showed the attitude of the Malay when it comes to changes, and their inability to evaluate and value the idea of changes and progress. Only by the clear leadership provided and demonstrated by Hassan did the family made it through the day.

I also remember the part Pak Hassan Abd Muthalib brought forward when Hassan was out of money and tried to borrow some from a moneylender wearing the 'serban'. And Hassan's application for loan is rejected due to the amount of interest is too high and the repayment period is too tight.

Hassan then found help from someone dressed in a 'modern outfit' offering him financial help from the village co-op, with very low interest and only start repayment after profit is gained, which is a more sincere way to lend a helping hand instead of just thinking about getting the money back a.s.a.p and with profit.

Its a great play of visual storytelling with a message about the state of the people and the contrast between two type of people with different social and educational background.

ZAIN HUSSAIN AND THE PARALLEL TO HASSAN'S HOMECOMING

He served in the army during the WWII and learned the art of cinematography from them. He then with the Malayan Film Unit produced his films including this docudrama, Hassan's Homecoming in 1954. He then head the Filem Negara Malaysia for years but things changed when it was taken over by FINAS.

The experience and wisdom of Mohd Zain Hussain came second to what was the main priority of the time - money.

And from the brilliance of Joseph Campbell’s ‘The Hero’s Journey’ application by Mohd Zain Hussain in Hassan's Homecoming, to what we see popular today in the mainstream cinema and how it is done.

When money rules the day and no attention given to film and cinema as a tool for people and nation building, and to educate the people about the apparent good and bad and deciding between them, even when there are heroes around now trying do propose changes for the better.

Just like the late Mohd Zain Hussain rejected proposal to FINAS back then.

(photo credit Pak Hassan Abd Muthalib)

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corrections :

• The late Mohd Zain Hussain did not learn the art of cinematography from the army. He joined the Malayan Film Unit (MFU) in 1947 and received his training there and learnt from screening. He started handling sound recording, and then to the animation camera and then moved to the Camera Department.

• Filem Negara Malaysia (FNM) was not taken over by FINAS. FNM changed after the retirement of Mohd Zain as the head in1971.

• In the down trend of Malaysian films after his retirement, Mohd Zain Hussain send his idea and proposal to revive the film scene to Malaysian Ministry of Trade & Commerce and was accepted. Only that few years after that, a new idea came and a group of people made a new group which later known as FINAS.
  He didnt sent the proposal to FINAS.

reference : ‘TUAN ZAIN’, A MALAYSIAN VISIONARY & A PRINCIPLED DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER by Hassan Abd Muthalib https://web.facebook.com/hassan.muthalib/posts/10210762751159373