ANU Malaysia Institute welcomes students, academics and the public in Canberra to the screening of award-winning Malaysian director Jin Ong’s directorial debut: Abang Adik with English subtitles.

Recognised as one of the best Malaysian films in 2023, Abang Adik won critical acclaim and garnered many awards at international film festivals for its realist portrayal of underclass lives, gripping storytelling and compelling performance by the two main actors. It was nominated for seven Golden Horse Awards and took home Best Actor for Kang-Ren Wu. The movie follows Abang, a stateless man who is deaf and mute and surviving on odd jobs with his younger brother Adik in Pudu wet markets in Kuala Lumpur. It shines a light on the plight of stateless individuals and illegal immigrants in Malaysia and underscores the Director’s commitment to spotlighting marginalised communities and societal issues within the country.

Her Excellency Ambassador Sharrina Abdullah, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Australia, will give opening remarks before the screening.

A light dinner will be catered after the screening for registered participants. Please select appropriate tickets to indicate if you will be joining us for the movie only, or also joining us for the dinner afterwards.

Agenda

4pm screening
6.30pm dinner

Movie Synopsis

Abang and Adi are native Malaysian but live without ID cards. They are stranded at Pudu, which has an ancient wet market. Here was once the most prosperous community in the city, but now it’s mottled and dilapidated. They cannot enjoy the rights and welfare of ordinary citizens, nor can they apply for passports or even bank accounts. Abang, the older brother, was born mute and his only goal in life is to work hard and seek a stable life. Adi, on the other hand, is unwilling to give in to his fate and becomes involved in selling fake IDs, aiming to make fast money, and gets away from this place with Abang. There comes a social worker who is called Jia En from an NGO. She is a kind and enthusiastic girl, who makes every effort to help the brothers to apply for a legal identity card. However, a fatal accident then happens and once again places Abang and Adi in dire straits.

About the Director

Jin Ong is the founder of More Entertainment Sdn Bhd, has developed film and television productions since 2008. He also served as curator of the 1st and 2nd Malaysia International Film Festival. Jin is good at focusing on social issues, humanities, and morals. His perspective reflects the situation in the country (Malaysia) where he grew up, creating an indie style of realism.

About Abang Adik

Director and Scriptwriter: Jin Ong
Executive Producer: Sinje Lee, and Alex C. Lo
Main Cast: Kang-Ren Wu, and Jack Tan
Length: 114 min 50 sec
Language: Mandarin, Cantonese, and Malay

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