For this episode, we’re going to go back… way back, to 1962! Fikri sits down with special guest, film historian and all-round good guy Hassan Muthalib in discussing ‘Mandi Safar’. Directed by Mohd Zain Ibrahim, the film depicts a Malay tradition no longer practiced as it’s deemed to be ‘unIslamic’. We discuss how close the film’s representation match the reality of the day, consider factors related to colonialism in the making and reading of the film, and how well it fits in with the rest of Zain Ibrahim’s filmography.
- You can watch the film here on the FINAS YouTube channel
- We previously published a write-up by Hassan Muthalib about Mohd Zain Hussain
- He also published an academic piece on the films of the Malayan Film Unit
- Intermission: ‘Mandi Safar’ by Mohd Zain Ibrahim
- Theme Song: Airplane Mode by Josh Woodward
- Download the episode here, or catch us on PodBean, Acast, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Player FM, Stitcher and TuneIn
Featured image credit and podcast cover art: Erkan Utu / Pexels
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