15th New York Asian Film Festival

Jun 22 - Jul 9, 2016

FilmsGuestsSchedule & Tickets

Photo: Skyzen Studios

New York Premiere

Brutal

Jagat

First-time director Shanjhey Kumar Perumal channels the spirit of Satyajit Ray in this coming-of-age story about a boy growing up in a community of Tamil immigrants in Malaysia during the 1990s. The film introduces us to Appoy (magnificently played by Harvind Raj), a spirited kid who would rather watch gangster flicks and make prank calls than memorize his multiplication tables. Desperately trying to keep his son on the straight path, Appoy's hard-working father becomes increasingly abusive, as the boy is inexorably drawn to the criminal lifestyle of his uncle, a henchman for a local Malaysian gang. Like the best debut features (think Pickpocket or As Tears Go By), Brutal has the tang and intensity of personal experience, is saturated with style and charm, and is a little rough around the edges. But those rough edges only heighten the panache and impact of the film, which signals the arrival of a major cinematic talent.

Director: Shanjhey Kumar Perumal
Cast: Marup Mustapah, Kuben Mahadevan, Jibrail Rajhula, Harvind Raj
Languages: Tamil and Malaysian with English subtitles
2015; 86 min.; DCP

SCHEDULE:

Sunday June 26, 7:30pm
Film Society of Lincoln Center

Q&A with Shanjhey Kumar Perumal

Shanjhey Kumar Perumal

Shanjhey Kumar Perumal is a Malaysian director and writer. Since earning a Communication Degree in Film and Broadcasting from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), he has worked in a diverse and wide range of media — from documentaries and short films to musicals and children's programs — and has written and directed over 300 episodes for Malaysian television. In 2006, his short film Thaipoosam received international recognition at the 36th International Film Festival Rotterdam, and his subsequent films went on to receive similar acclaim across the festival circuit. In 2009, Machai was awarded the Grand Prize at the BMW Shorties Malaysia; his short film Jagat went on to win Best Cinematography at the International Toronto Tamil Film Festival in 2011; and in 2013, his documentary The Day That River Ran Red won the Jury Award at The KOMAS Freedom Film Festival Southeast Asia, Kuala Lumpur 2013. Perumal founded Skyzen (M) Sdn. Bhd in 2013 with the goal of producing high quality narrative, documentary and experimental films for the big screen. Brutal is his debut feature.