Chris Chong may not be a name known far and wide, but it's definitely a name to watch for. The Malaysian filmmaker has been raking in the awards everywhere he goes, most notably with his short films Kolam (2007) and Block B (2008). His debut feature film, Karaoke, will be screening in the Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, which is pretty big news back home because the last Malaysian film to screen there was U-Wei's Kaki Bakar (The Arsonist) in 1995.
Karaoke is a 75-minute film in the Malay language. The synopsis:
In a rural Malaysian oil palm estate, Betik returns home.Betik looks to turn his life around and build a future back home with his mother after the death of his father a few years ago. Betik’s absence from the funeral is seen by his mother as a silent betrayal.
To regain his rhythm living back home, he takes on a day job shooting karaoke videos. At night, he tries to help his mother at the family’s karaoke bar downstairs; a karaoke where the local Indian estate workers, their families, and the Malay Muslim villagers next door gather and sing. Each song resonates for someone in the villages. And it is here that Betik meets a girl who seduces him with a future that he had come back for.
A job, a love and a family. His return home comes together quickly.
But nobody is as naïve as they seem. Everybody wants something. In the innocence of a small village in the estate, subtle manipulations and deceptions seep through.The songs continue to be sung, unwavering.
The home has changed. The palm trees have grown in endless symmetry. The landscape rusts and nostalgia turns.