“I first knew about her (Sybil) because my dad spoke about her. When I first heard her story, I was like, this is such a fantastic story. She resonated with people, not just women. but with everyone outside of the country for what she did. Google has honoured her, Time has honoured her. She has already appealed to so many people. In that sense, it wouldn’t be a challenge to tell her story to the world.”
– Sangeeta Krishnasamy, Producer
During the press conference, Sangeeta detailed how difficult it was to gain access to information about Sybil and mentioned that they had been working tirelessly to make the film as accurate as possible by collecting factual data about the national hero. Beyond the film, Sangeeta also spoke of her hopes to collect funds to restore Sybil’s home at No. 74 Main Road, Papan, Perak, where Sybil had treated many wounded patients from the war.
Additionally, Sangeeta added that the mayor of Ipoh had expressed to her that he would aid the film production in getting the movie a UNESCO certificate. Beyond just a nationalist approach, Sangeetha will also be attending the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for the upcoming two weeks to secure an international partnership for this pioneering and exciting new film.
“Of course we are trying to reenact moments, maybe some people would have been missed, but again, the approach we would like to go for is 100% accuracy approach. We do have historians that will be involved with this film, and the writer will be working closely with the historian and with me as well.”
– Syed Hussein, Director
When Syed Hussein was asked about directing a film such as this, where multiple languages will be present, he stated that he didn’t find it intimidating as he is familiar with the multilingual landscape of Malaysia. He expressed that all these various languages were part of this society, and were important to be present in the film. While so, he added that although the film will feature multiple languages, the anchor language of the film will be Malay, as the Malay language is very important to the social fabric of Malaysian society. He had also expressed that the entire team of historians, researchers, writers, and himself will be working towards creating a story that is as authentic as possible.
“We would hope that this would eventually be Malaysia’s submission to the Academy Awards.”
– A. Samad Hasan, Producer
A. Samad Hasan, one of the producers of the film, expressed that the root of creating this film on Sybil was built on the hope to bring forth stories about Malaysian heroes, pointing out that Sangeetha has previously done works like Adiwiraku and Gemencheh Boys, which were created in the same nationalistic tone. Samad wanted to celebrate the unsung heroes of Malaysia, saying that while Malaysians are aware of Sybil’s heroic sacrifices, the general public seems to be forgetting about her legacy day by day. Samad had added that he wanted the film to not only stay within the borders of Malaysia but also travel internationally to prestigious film festivals. Aiding in both showcasing the talent of Malaysian cinema as well as the depth of Malaysian history.
“With the collaborative efforts from all the players, there are success stories coming to our doorsteps, and definitely (this project will receive) 100% support from FINAS and the government’s sides.”
– FINAS CEO Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib
FINAS CEO Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib emphasised the unwavering support of both FINAS and the government towards Sangeeta’s project, pointing towards the need for more local films to prosper and express the depth of Malaysian history.
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