Kuala Lumpur-born filmmaker Diffan Sina Norman crafts poetry through moving images. While not widely recognised among Malaysian cinephiles, his short films – which have been showcased at prestigious film festivals around the world – are noteworthy.
Short films are defined by their duration, often under 30 or 40 minutes, as well as their focused, impactful ideas. Like literary short stories, this format introduces fresh and novel concepts that evoke emotional resonance. A successful short-film narrative, therefore, should be surprising – even enlightening.
Similar to short stories, such films don’t require intricate plots; rather, they often revolve around a single compelling conflict. This need not be overly intense: often, less is more, and the heightened contrast is part of the appeal.
Just as short stories serve as a training ground for young authors, short films are a lighter format than full-length features.
With this in mind, Los Angeles-based Diffan channels creativity, talent and vibrance into works such as “Kekasih” and “Pasture Prime”, both contenders for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in years past; while “Wow” was recently featured in Singapore’s Film Festival.
These three titles leave a profound, almost transcendent impact.
For a work to be considered transcendent, it needs to have a narrative that, beyond being creative in and of itself, leads the audience to think, analyse, and process. This sort of narrative often employs symbols to communicate abstract ideas, inviting interpretation.
In “Kekasih”, Diffan uses the rose as a symbol of intoxicating love that, left unchecked, leads to destruction. Watching it brings to mind the opening lines of Hafiz Shirazi’s poem: “Mawar telah memerah merah, putiknya telah pecah, dan mabuk dengan kegembiraan adalah burung bulbul” (“The rose has bloomed red, its bud has burst, and intoxicated with joy is the nightingale”).
Shattered by his wife’s death, Mansor, a botanist played by Nasir Bilal Khan, refuses to let go of Rozita (Fauziah Nawi) and struggles against fate to revive her. Dazed and intoxicated by love, he is transformed forever.
This compelling eight-minuter stood out among 66 selections from over 8,000 entries at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014.
In “Wow”, featuring Bront Palarae and Noorkumalasari, Diffan employs an abstract approach to convey the story of a mother who punishes her son for his success, using the conceit of a talk show filled with surprising elements.
“Wow’s” screening at the Singapore Film Festival last year was much talked about, thanks to its fable-esque story of a mother who destroys her own offspring: a narrative contrary to societal (and human) expectations, likely inspired by the folk tale of Si Tanggang.
Diffan’s latest film, “Pasture Prime”, once again selected for Sundance, unfolds in Texas, presenting an American wild-west setting with a Malay-Parsi storytelling style. Focusing on the mysterious “Marlboro Man”, Diffan and writer Carolyn Purnell deliver a paean to obsessive love that concludes with a stunning revelation.
“Pasture Prime” is noteworthy as filmmakers are rarely able to convincingly portray foreign environs – an exception, perhaps, being Ang Lee who, despite his strong Taiwanese identity, has authentically portrayed “new” worlds in films such as “Sense and Sensibility” and “Brokeback Mountain”.
Finally, Diffan’s upcoming full-length work, “Sitora,” dedicated to P Ramlee and produced with Studio Fangoria in the United States, is highly anticipated and promises to be thrilling.
Diffan’s creations offer distinct narratives rooted in Malay-Parsi traditions amid themes of humanity, liberation, and – again – transcendence. His extensive experience in LA is undoubtedly an asset; yet, he doesn’t forsake his roots, striving to involve potential talents from his home country.
He also appears to resist external forces attempting to influence his work: a quality not always found in creators who are tempted or enchanted by opportunities abroad.
Watch ‘Kekasih’ on Vimeo, and view the trailer for ‘Pasture Prime’ here.
Faisal Tehrani is an author, playwright, film buff and regular FMT columnist.