The 19th Singapore Film Festival is going on now.
So, this time they brought in several Arab films.

13th April 2006 -
Opening nite film "Kiss me not in the Eye" or the Arabic title "Dunya" ... why the difference in the title, I don't know...cos Dunya is the name of the lead character & it should be left that way instead of having a totally different English tittle...

No intention to watch the show cos price is very steep.. $22/- per ticket !!! ... way expensive boy !
As planned, we went Substation after dinner & sholat maghrib, to watch a show put up by Ezzam... these Artistic presentations are always weird to me but hb wanted to meet him & since tomorrow is holiday.. why not ? Ezzam's show was at 7pm but we reached around 8.15, so his was over ... (selamat... hehehe..)
There's a chinese funeral band playing in a room (why is it called 'art' when it's at Substation ; while it's a nuisance if played under the block !)... Anyway, in the other room sits a bald man painted all white & wearing a white long robe - sitting very still in front of a long table with bones & whatever things (I was scared to go near !)...knifes were thrown all over the floor... Eeerie ! Jeezz... ARTS !!.. never understand what the heck the messages are.. !

So, we decided to leave & headed to Lido & burn $44/- to watch "Dunya". Many Arabs gals there, so it's somewhat like going to a hafla.. hehehe...


1. Opening- a short film by Malaysian Director "U-Wei" titled "My beautiful Rambutan tree in Tanjung Rambutan". A slow film... ZZzzz....
Abt a bro & sis left alone one nite while their parents went to a wedding. Earlier, dad had brought back a bunch of rambutans & they decided to eat them. So they played & fought, the sis then climbed on a small stool - getting something on the wardrobe.. the boy came in & pull the stool, she felt... & .. DIED ! (..how could she die ?).
Anyway, he dragged her down.. to the garden.. dig a grave & buried her (all by himself... ya, a boy of abt 9 yrs old, hah !) The parents came home & asked where's the sis.. he kept quiet, so they called the police. Days passed & u see this boy watering the grave everyday. A small tree sprout out... u guess ? - A RAMBUTAN TREE ! (must be fm his sis' tummy.. hahaha !). Finally, the teenage boy sat by the window.. his mum called him to eat his dinner ... the camera moved to the big Rambutan tree on the grave... THE END... (What a joke!... for 30 mins u watch this !... )
These questions remains in my sleepy & bored mind.. how the girl died from the short fall ? How lousy are the police ?.. didn't they go around the house compound and see the newly dug soil ?
.. anyway these short films always boggle my brain with how ridiculous they are .. so be it !


2. Then the Arab film "Kiss me Not in the Eye" or "Dunya" by a Lebanese Director Jocelyne Saab, its supposed to be an examination on contemporary Egypt - a society still bounded by traditions. 'Dunya' (the girl) interest are in poetry & belly dancing, but being in a society where expressing & discussing SEX is a taboo, she found it difficult to embrace her sensuality & express herself in the poems she wrote or read, & in her dance. Her thesis supevisor Prof. tried to help her thru' traditional Sufi poetry ( not accepted well in Egypt community cos of being lustful) .. Blah, blah, blah... he was attacked one day & become almost blind. Ok.. she's close to him, but married her boyfriend...
Her problem ?.. the sensuality in her still doesn't erupt like a volcano.. hahaha....

This film also shows the issue girl circumcision. (WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THESE PPL ?.. EUROPEAN influence !!... It's never an issue amongst those that practices it.. but a BIG problem to the outside world !...Kepo !.. juz leave us alone lah!) So a girl was circumcised by her grandma without her mother's blessing (she said this will kill sexual desire..) her daughter will be like her !... boo hoo !!
THE JOKE ? ... in this film, this woman is like a sex machine.. everyday waiting for her husband's return so they can have sex the whole day ! WHAT A CONTROVERSIAL MESSAGE !
What sexual desire of her's has died due to circumcision ?.. she's like a sex maniac burning hot with desire !!!
Anyway... poetry, poetry... dance, dance.... ('Dunya' can't even belly dance well).. eventually, she left her husband to 'find' herself... Ya rite ! 'find' herself in bed with the professor... !! Then suddenly... teng-deng-deng.... There it was ! her inner sensuality.. BOOM... explosion !!.. hahaha...

WHAT A CRAP !!
The film is actually ok (Hana : the actress later won the Best Actress in this film festival) ... but I can't agree with the issues at all !
Firstly, of course abt the girl circumcision thingy which according to them is 'mutation' !
Secondly, why can't she find her sensuality?... juz because she can't discuss sex in the open & have sex out of wedlocks?.. Peleezzzz, we don't do that !!.. but sensuality we definitely have (yes, circumsised and all !)...go ask our husband !!

Met a few Egyptian girls after & all sounded upset wif the film... saying that the Director is the one having problem with her sensuality.. hehehe.. & what rite she hv to potray Egyptian gals like that, when she herself is Lebanese... !! ok, cool gals...
I hv the chance to speak to the Director..."how's the film?" she asked... "oh, nice.." my reply (of course lah... polite aper). But she's shocked to know that we are circumcised & when I told her that it's not an issue here. She said that circumcision are done & that the 'whole thing' is chopped off !.. I wonder, mmpphh....did she do any studies? Then I talked to this white woman & a chinese girl (the organisers). I said "Well, most (if not all) the Muslim woman & girls I know here are circumcised" ! ... This Sporean woman looked stunned, sounded shocked & kept on denying it.... How would u know ?.. U ignorant $@$^** !

Hehehe... actually hah, I do have a good time, spending time with my hb on a late nite date... later we sit at McDonalds & chit-chat till around 2am ! Came back home to my sleeping baby around 2.30am... sigh ! MUAACKKSS !!! miss my baby....