Selubung directed by Datuk Paduka Shuhaimi Baba, a female
director, which started a story about a bunch of students that study abroad in
Perth. The story started with them watching some documentary about Palestine
war. Each one of them chooses their paths after watching the incidents of wars.
As the protagonists, Mastura came
back to Malaysia and work as a volunteer in an organisation name as RESCAID.
Her friend, E.J decided to quit her college and marry to an Islamic religious
leader. Mastura has run the organisation well, while at the same time she met
Kamal, her long time crush on an accident which made them fall in love with
each other. Later on, Mastura faced a big tragic that almost took her life. In
the end, she survived in the disaster and she had successfully completed her
campaign of helping the victims of war.
Woman
identities during the 90’s of Malaysia are captured in Selubung. Malaysian
female muslins have difficulties to balance their values and identities during
that period western culture are popular and influence the Malaysia society. The
film has portrayed the situation by using 2 converse woman characters in the
film to show the conflict between modern and traditional of Malaysian woman. The first character is Mastura, her appearance
and costumes are more modern compare to the traditional malay woman that
wearing tudung and baju kurung. Her dressing is more stylish and more on the
trend of 90’s fashion. Somehow, she still follows the traditional values as
some shots she’s wearing baju kurung and hijab. Also, her choice to finish her
study and work as a independent woman shows she break the traditional norm of
woman should stay home and take care the family. She also manages to handle her
career and love life with Kamal, her ability and status is much more important
in the male dominated country on that period.
In
contrast, the second character, E.J in Selubung plays the role as a traditional
muslin woman. Her appearance and thoughts is more conservatism. She has less
confidence and usually follows her husband, Brother Musa decision without any
doubt. Even she is a good scholar in school, she decided to listens her leader
to quit her studies in Perth and marry the leader for the preparation of her
after life to embrace heaven. She accepts
the concept of polygamy as she became Brother Musa second wife. Her mind set on
woman should be lower status than man and be obedient to marriage. After she
lost her baby which Brother Musa first wife, Hani kill the baby, she lost hope
and depress on life. Mastura help her overcome the tragic happened to her and
gain her confidence back to continue her life in Malaysia. She find out that
she’s misunderstood on Mastura has betray her Islamic identity as she saw her
helping the victims in the Middle East and without changing her habits on the traditional
custom. Also, she decided to forget her past and continue her life while she
join Mastura organisation to help the victims in the Middle East.
The setting
of the film has portrayed Malaysia is getting more modernise and capitalize.
They choose to film Selubung in Kuala Lumpur which is a big city in Malaysia
with much structure of buildings and westernise appearance of the citizens. For
example, they use western instrument on the concert. On the other hand, they
also film some flashback of Mastura childhood which her grandpa and the people
in the village playing drums at Terengganu. Many traditional Malaysia culture
involves in the shots at Terengganu such as traditional instruments, costumes
and architectural and it shows the contrast and the differences of the modern city
and traditional village. The director also uses butterfly as the symbol of hope
and luck. At the last part of the movie, Mastura stays coma in the hospital because
of the tragic happen, the shots of butterflies flying around her ward in the
hospital shows us hopes and indicate the good sign of her overcome the injuries
that almost took her life. After that, she wakes up and Kamal hold her hand
lovely and led the film to a happy ending.
Selubung focus
on feminise and Malaysian woman identity which the main idea to let the
audience to recognize their identities and their abilities is equal to man
abilities in the society. Mastura is a good example of representing the masculinity
of woman and her independent bring her to success. E.J represents the
traditional woman that is not courage enough to run her life by herself in the society
which ruins her path on education and career. Malaysian woman need to stands
out and be confidences to dreams without worries the traditional norms that
limit them to gain their achievement in the society. Also, the film gives us a
message to the audiences not to look down on woman abilities and strengths,
thereby not to forget their religious beliefs and values.
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