‘Yasmine’: Brunei’s first movie goes international

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yasmine_brunei_movieDirected by Brunei’s first female director, Yasmine: The Final Fist, is ready for its international debut. Canadian indie distributor 108 Media has picked up the worldwide sales rights to Brunei’s first ever box-office movie.

Yasmine, a coming-of-age martial arts film by the Muslim-majority sultanate’s first female director, Siti Kamaluddin, is to have its North American premiere on Friday at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.
Ahead of that Canadian screening, 108 Media acquired the sales rights to the Liyana Yus-starrer about Yasmine, a young woman who lives alone with her strict father and wants to be a champion at Silat, Brunei’s version of kung fu.

To build a “dream team” for this project, Siti  invited talents from Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong to come to Brunei for 45 days of shooting.

Besides Liyana Yus from Brunei playing the lead role, there are some talents from Indonesia: Reza Rahadian (Fahri – Yasmine’s Father), Agus Kuncoro (Jamal – Silat teacher), Dwi Sasono (Tong Lung – School Silat teacher), The Raid 2 actor Arifin Putra (Fahri’s friend), Roy Sungkono and Mentari De Marelle. Dian P Ramlee, Dato’ M. Nasir, Nabila Huda, Soo Wincci, Carmen Soo and Aryl Falak from Malaysia.

Prominent Hong Kong martial arts choreographer Chan Man Ching (‘The Legend of Drunken Master 2’, ‘Rumble in the Bronx’,  ‘Rush Hour’, ‘Hell Boy 2’) and Indonesian screenwriter Salman Aristo (‘Laskar Pelangi’, ‘Ayat-Ayat Cinta’) also support Siti’s dream team.

This movie is set to release worldwide — including Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia— on August.

Brunei Darussalam is one of the smallest countries in the world; while its population is among the richest in the world – thanks to vast oil and gas reserves.  But Brunei’s film industry is yet to be developed and touched. “The last film ever made here was a 1960s how-to guide by the ministry of religious affairs about being a good citizen.”

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