21 Sep – "La Luna" writer and director M Raihan Halim has recently denied speculations that his upcoming release has an element of soft pornography. The filmmaker, whose upcoming movie tells the story about a lingerie store being opened in a small conservative village, stated that they have already undergone the censorship process with the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (LPF) without any issue.
"There was no scene that was asked to be removed by LPF. This film has no soft porn element even though there are some teasing dialogues. However, it is neither rude nor perverse," he said.
Speaking about the movie, Raihan stated that the film was inspired by a case that occurred in Saudi Arabia, in which a lingerie store was burnt down by the men as it was considered rude and taboo. "It made me want to understand why and led me to make this movie. Patriarchy, toxicity, I love those kinds of subject, but I tried to use a different approach, which is through romantic comedy," he said. "La Luna" boasts a star-studded cast that include Sharifah Amani ("Sepet"), Shaheizy Sam ("Police Evo"), Wan Hanafi Su ("Apprentice"), Namron ("Crossroads: One Two Jaga"), Hisyam Hamid ("Revenge of the Pontianak"), Nadiya Nisaa ("Bu"), and Iedil Dzuhrie ("The Assistant"), along with young actors Syumaila Salihin ("Flying Butter") and Wafiy Ilhan ("Warkah"). It is produced by Clover Films, Papahan Films, Adrian Teh's ACT 2 Pictures, as well as Louis Koo's One Cool Film.