5 Jul – Internationally renowned Malaysian film director Woo Ming Jin has recently wrapped filming of his latest film, "The Fox King". The Bahasa Melayu film stars Indonesian actress Dian Sastrowardoyo – an icon of Indonesian cinema. This is the first time Dian has acted in a Malaysian film since 2003's "Puteri Gunung Ledang". The film also stars Idan Aedan ("Harum Malam"), Amerul Affendi ("Prebet Sapu"), Chew Kim Wah ("Raintown"), along with newcomer Hadi Putra. This marks a milestone for Malaysian cinema as the film is one of the first Malaysia-Indonesia co-production films. "The Fox King" revolves around fraternal twins with a unique telepathic bond. The brothers are forced to fend for themselves when their father abandons them after remarrying a younger bride. The arrival of a new teacher, Lara, further complicates matters, and puts their brotherly bond to the test.
"The film is about all the important stages that teenagers go through in life; first love, sibling rivalry, bullying, and grief. No matter what your circumstances are, these rites of passage are universal to everyone. I wanted to portray a unique story that tells the story of these brothers experiencing all the trials and tribulations of growing up, in a way that is cinematically exciting and authentic," said Woo, who is the International Critics Prize winner at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2022. "We were fortunate that Dian connected to the script and loved the character so much", the director added. "The film is a co-production between Malaysia and Indonesia; we wanted to make a film that will break down national borders that are usually present, especially for Malaysian films. Even though Indonesian films travel to Malaysia, our films are not often seen in Indonesia. We hope that this film will change that and will be embraced by audiences of both countries and also beyond," enthused Woo.
Woo further revealed that, "As a twin myself, this is not just a boundary breaking project, but also a personal one. There have been many films about twins but they are usually cliched romantic comedies or about the evil doppelgangers. I want to explore the complexity of the bond between twins, that goes beyond words. It is a bond that is unique and not easily captured on screen." Also supported by FINAS (National Film Development Corporation) "The Fox King" is due to be completed next year in time for film festivals and general release in cinemas.