Short Film Review - Tudung Saji Buah Hati (Sweetheart) by Yee Hwa (2005)

An old short film shared with me by Mr. Hassan Muthalib and he asked me what I think about it. He chose this one over another one in a film festival but was overruled by other juries.

I've been sitting on this too long now and finally got a better look at it.

Unfortunately, I can't share the video because I haven't got the authorization from the director, Yee Hwa. I have contacted him on social media but haven't got any replied. So I'm just going to attach the screenshots of some of the important scenes from the short film to show my point.

SYNOPSIS

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The film started inside a traditional Malay house with a young lady without headcover, eating over a meal which is not covered, only to be babbled by his father for not doing so (both not covering the food and her head). Which indirectly draws parallel between food and women's head or dignity.
The father then compared her to the mother who had covered her head from when she was young to her old days.

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The scene than transitioned to the outside of the house, downstairs where a young man dressed in a simple Kain Sarong and a white t-shirt dancing over the young lady, now standing near the window, looking down.

The song playing in the background is from A Razak - Gadis Desa from the mid 1970s while syncing with these shots

So graceful and delicate is her strut,
Her hair cascades down to her shoulders,
Her skin is dark like brown sugar,

Where are you going young lady?

Dressed in kurung and covered under a veil,
Walking with her head bowed,
Perhaps she's arrogant,
Yet she really is not,
Rural girls are really not like that,
Rural girls are just bashful,

Remember, oh rural girl,
You are like a flower,
If you wilt and drop,
No beetle will come to you,

Remember what your father said,
Abide to your mother's advice,
They raised you,
Until you're all grown up,
Don't ever forget what they taught you,
Leave a good name for the rural girl,

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It ends to the shot of the bee flying off to the sky after collectin nectar from the sunflower, and a Chinese looking lady in a traditional Malay dress, wearing a real traditional Malay girls head covering, a Selendang.

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My Interpretation

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• When the scene transitioned to the outside of the house, the young guy was dancing using the same attire as the father. I take it as the director tried to take us to when the father was young, to around 30 to 40 years back, when they take things easier.

• With the song Gadis Desa playing in the background, talking about both girls that wear tudung (head cover) and also those who don't.

• The song seems to relay the same advice to girls of all races (portrayed by the multi-colored kebaya worn by the dancing girls) to have good manners instead of just what they wear (or not).

• And finally to be nice enough to attract the bees and not flies.

• The bees then flies away to the sky with the song saying

"Don't ever forget what they taught you,
Leave a good name for the rural girl,"

• as it also what religion and God says.

• The end shot of a Chinese girl wearing a Selendang concludes the message of the multicultural nature of Malaysia.