Internationally acclaimed Malaysian film director, U-Wei Haji Saari has praised the Malaysian Tamil film, Metro Maalai after watching it yesterday at NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.
“I watched Metro Maalai, and I am so excited for the film. It tells a simple story of two empty souls in the city of KL. But what is interesting is how the characters and the setup has been portrayed,” the director says in a short video after watching the film.
The director goes on to sing praises for Metro Maalai, saying, “The filmmakers have thought out of the box and made a one-of-a-kind film. This film has its own voice. It really excites me as a filmmaker. My salutations to the filmmakers of Metro Maalai. I am so proud that this is a Malaysian film. Well done to Haran and Shoban, and to the actor, Satish,”
U-Wei Haji Saari first made headlines in the mid 90s. His film, Kaki Bakar, also known as The Arsonist was the first Malaysian film to enter the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. The film is unique, because it was screened in Cannes 6 years before the Malaysian release. He went on to create a string of films such as Jogho, Buai Laju-laju and most recently, Hanyut.
The director then had a drink with the cast and crew of the film who were present, after signing a few copies of the Metro Maalai poster.
Watch the eminent director talk about the film here.
Metro Maalai is currently showing in 35 cinemas nationwide. Unfortunately, the response hasn’t been the most encouraging, and the screens showing may fall to a mere 5 cinemas if ticket sales don’t pick up by tonight, after a stint of just one week. If you haven’t watched the film, tonight might be the best time to do so.
Check out the showtimes of Metro Maalai here.
