SENI FOKUS: Introducing Tony Pietra Arjuna – One of Cuak’s Five Directors!
Of all the films receiving top recognition at this year’s Festival Filem Malaysia, Cuak is quite the anomaly. Boasting five different directors (tied together under the creative direction of Khairil M. Bahar), the film is nominated for Best Film Not In The Malay Language.
Tony Pietra Arjuna is one of the directors responsible for Cuak. His segment, Issues, stars Tony Eusoff, Craig Fong, Corinne Adrienne, Amelia Chen, Benedict Ly, as well as the lead actors of Cuak. Given the critical acclaim afforded to the film, was Tony expecting the recognition?
“Not really on this level but being nominated by FFM is a pleasant surprise,” he begins, in The Daily Seni‘s conference room.
Tony Pietra Arjuna directed the Issues segment in Cuak. Image via .
“This feels like a victory in itself because we’ve been lobbying to get this film noticed not just by a niche urban crowd but also the mainstream. So it’s an honor that a mainstream film institution noticed our film, and I believe the traction the film has gained over the past year helped.”
No second thoughts for makers of Cuak
The fact is that Cuak underperformed during its limited two week run in cinemas, making its recognition all the more triumphant. Tony suspects that the Johor Bahru Film Festival had something to do with renewed interest in the movie.
“That might have projected the film into the limelight – word got around and it set a chain reaction. I guess it just goes to show that word of mouth, festivals, less conventional screenings and support from Hassan Muthalib can get a film around, and this gives indie filmmakers a lot more hope.”
Tony may be 38, but his looks suggest that he’s someone not quite done with his twenties.
Radiating a sense of humility and seeming just a tad nervous, he’s an amiable sort of man’s man: the sort you wouldn’t mind kicking back with on a Sunday afternoon. This we believe had something to do with his appointment in Cuak; how else do you get five directors to work cohesively and amicably?
You see, each director had a segment of their own in the film. Aside from Tony’s moody, ambiance-rich, so-cool-it-hurts Issues, we also have high praise for Shamaine Othman‘s The Couple, which shows Adam (Ghafir Akbar) and Brenda (Dawn Cheong) arguing over a potential ban on the azan.
We asked Tony to elaborate more on the film’s development, and he divulges some details.
“It started as a collaboration where everybody agreed on what our story threads would be, and they all revolve around Brenda and Adam,” he explains.
“What we established before we went off on our own was that we made sure all the pieces connected. It’s first and foremost a collaboration, and each segment has its own director’s cut which was screened privately by invitation before it was released. Mine was about forty minutes long!”
Tony Eusoff plays a major role in the Cuak segment titled Issues.
According to Tony, in addition to working within the context of the film, Issues could even possibly stand alone as a film in its own right. The purpose of the piece was to display how Adam addresses his relationship with Brenda in the end.
“What is the ultimate test of love? From the point of view of Mikael [played by Tony Eusoff], if you’re willing to die for the person you love then you pass the ultimate test. That moment in itself makes Adam reassess his cuak moment.”
We’ve come this far and we’ve yet to explain the meaning of the film’s title.
The word cuak basically means takut (according to online dictionary Mykamus, but further vetted by Mohamad Ayub, manager at Artisan Roast in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, where a lot of this author’s pieces are written), although the film’s English title Second Thoughts works effectively enough.
Cherry-picking from a vibrant performing arts scene
One of our favourite things about watching the film was noticing the number of Malaysian theatre actors in the film. Aside from its lead actors, Cuak also boasts guest performances from highly notable stage performers.
AIIA Improv’s Amelia Chen also appears in Cuak!
Qahar Aqilah served as acting coach on FFM Best Film-nominee Terbaik Dari Langit; Gavin Yap‘s directorial effort Take Me To Dinner earned him a Most Promising Director nomination at this year’s FFM; Ash Nair is a regular on British television series Indian Summers, while Iedil Putra stars in the upcoming Dain Said film Interchange (hyped up by many as Malaysia’s soon-to-be cinematic pride and joy). And that’s just the men.
Even PJ Live Arts venue director Diong Chae Lian has a turn as the hilarious Aunt Edwina – she’s the aggressive, money-minded mother of Brenda.
“The whole thing is cronyism,” Tony confesses in jest.
“It’s all our friends. A lot of them were from Khai’s circle too; it just goes to show that the performing arts and independent scenes are actually quite incestuous. Everybody knows each other through two or three degrees of separation. Because it’s a small scene, it’s important to help each other out for the bigger picture, and I’m proud of Cuak for embodying that attitude.”
Casting was based on auditions and a group vote. Although most of the choices were unanimous, they were made for different reasons – Tony personally voted for Ghafir because he brings to mind a “young Tom Hanks” whereas Dawn reminded him of Jennifer Connelly back in the days.
Both lead actors of Cuak are also nominated in the acting categories!
Dawn, nominated for the coveted Best Actress award in addition to scoring a Most Promising Actress nod, impressed Tony greatly. Prior to seeing her in action, he’s only ever heard of her name based on her reputation.
“I was completely sold on her through auditions because she could interpret her character through various facets. As long as you communicate with her, it’s easy to get her on the same page with whoever’s directing her.”
We asked him to pick anyone but Dawn as a winner for the Best Actress category, and he tells us he’s rooting for Sara Ali. No surprise, given that Sara played Hawa in Songlap, Tony’s favourite local film in recent years.
It’s not easy being indie
Tony’s quite impressed with Festival Filem Malaysia this year, as he believes that films with social commentary has scored a solid place with the award institution.
“My guess is that there’s more people on the board who are actual movie buffs now,” Tony muses.
“They’ve become aware that there are quality filmmakers working outside the established studio system who have something to offer the local cinema scene. I wouldn’t be surprised if in some indirect way, Datuk Kamil Othman has something to do with this.”
Datuk Kamil Othman’s appointment has coincided with positive changes in the local film industry. Photo via .
Datuk Kamil Othman is the director-general of the Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) and he’s been in charge since the end of last year.
“I don’t how much change he can make in his time in FINAS, but it’s a good start that we have someone who appreciates and is aware of our films.”
This is a sentiment we echo; even dealing with Ahmad Syazli – the man in charge of public relations at FINAS at the moment – isn’t the chore we were expecting. Syazli actually has the local film industry at the back of his hand and even has his own favourites from this year’s selection; we could really use more people like this in FINAS to be honest.
Tony’s choice for Best Film narrows down to Liew Seng Tat‘s Lelaki Harapan Dunia and Nik Amir Mustapha‘s Terbaik Dari Langit. We remind him that these films, despite their great critical acclaim, were not successes at the box office. In fact, looking at the figures, only one film in the Top 5 managed to make more than RM500,000 at the box office – Manisnya Cinta Di Cappadocia collected over RM1.6 million during its run.
Is there actually a market for the sort of films Tony enjoys?
“I believe that for example, if you take a niche market like indie films and place it into a system where everyone is on the same playing field, indie films will eventually fail.”
“The first step is to establish an arthouse cinema system which exclusively distributes and releases only indie films. We need to create a second tier of cinemas so indie films need not compete with mainstream or Hollywood films.”
Tony believes that before indie films make it into mainstream consciousness, there first needs to be a healthy interest in non-mainstream content.
“Even if it starts out on a small scale, the fact is that people can now watch these films in a dedicated space and there is hope that indie films can grow from here. We just need the guts to take on something like this.”
Only one movie in this year’s FFM Best Film category succeeded at the box office.
We then brought up box office figures of other films such as Hantu Bungkus Ikat Tepi (RM1.00 million), Zombi Kilang Biskut (RM1.55 million), Hantu Dalam Botol Kicap (RM1.86 million) and KL Zombie (RM2.95 million) and asked him for his thoughts on the trend.
“It’s the zeitgeist,” Tony states unfazed, “It’s what people want and is familiar with but like I said, we have the potential to create a separate market.”
“A few years ago, I got the opportunity to work on a TV drama series with Popiah Pictures, but you’d be surprised to know it’s a detective kind of story which has a ghost as the protagonist. When they got us directors on board, we thought we’ll take it in a different direction and make it a bit like CSI.”
Ghost was a television drama series starring Cheryl Samad (“truly a director’s actress, she’s matured over time in terms of acting”) that aired on 8TV in 2008 and was even renewed for a second season, eventually winning a Special Jury Award for Drama at the 5th Seoul International Drama Awards.
Ghost was an internationally-recognised local series.
Tony adds, “The show gained a lot of traction with local KL audiences who normally don’t watch local stuff. Then it went on to win an award in Seoul but nobody knew about that here.”
“That’s an example of how you can take a small niche market but if you create enough quality then that market can grow too!”
Bringing dreams back to life
Tony describes his own style as action with noir influence. His favourite films are David Lynch‘s Blue Velvet, Michael Mann‘s Manhunter and Heat, Sergio Leone‘s The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner, and Hiroshi Inagaki‘s Chūshingura.
You’ll get a good glimpse of his influences in his upcoming first full feature; he’s trying to put together a noir mystery thriller tentatively titled Shadowplay.
“It’s reminiscent of David Lynch, but with some nods to old school Michael Mann,” Tony explains, “I guess Issues was kind of like a dry run for this – I’m ready to take things to the next level.”
It’s not a particularly expensive project, but given the current economic climate, things haven’t been smooth-sailing. Financial setbacks have slowed progress, but Tony’s keeping his head in the game.
“We basically lost our funding due to complications in budgeting and scheduling, but it’s not over and I’m going to get it back on its feet again, thanks to support from filmmaker friends. Let’s just say that in my mind, it’s my next full-length feature project and God willing it gets made by next year.”
If things work out for Shadowplay, he might just ring up Tony Eusoff (“the Malaysian Steve McQueen!”) and model Juria Hartmans for a bit of work.
Of slightly rojak Malay lineage, Tony has some Thai and “possibly Arab” on his mother’s side, while his father is Javanese. It makes for a very interesting combination: Tony has Pan-Asian looks, complete with sharp features and double eyelids. We find ourselves questioning why he wasn’t an actor himself, but time is running out for our interview!
Tony’s work will next appear in CollabFeature’s Train Station!
As for when you’ll see his work next, CollabFeature‘s Train Station is currently in the process of getting a distribution deal. It’s an interesting project: 40 directors from all over the world contribute to the film and Tony is our local representative.
“Each of us provide a three-minute segment which forms part of a bigger story,” he explains.
“I feel honoured representing Malaysia in Train Station! The script for my submission was written with Isazaly Isa, and I guess you could call it something like a mini Coen Brothers type of collaboration.”
It will most probably be out next year so till then, make sure to watch Cuak and tell Tony if you’ve found someone interested in Shadowplay!
We’ve had Tony in for quite a while now and we’ve refilled his drink too many times to keep him any longer, so we reluctantly let him leave.
Here’s an interesting fun fact we’ll leave our readers with: did you know that this humble man was once addicted to videogames? The situation was rather serious and he even had to resort to psychological therapy; you’ll be glad to know he hasn’t touched a console since his college days.
On that note, we graciously thank the delightful Tony Pietra Arjuna for his willingness to visit us in our offices and wish him the best of luck with all his projects. We foresee great things ahead for this man and we can’t wait to see more of his work!
And if you haven’t seen Cuak? Beg, borrow, steal – it’ll be worth it.
Leave a Response