Lai bags an award for her short film 'WAShhh' (Photo: Alternativa Film and Awards Festival)
“If you want to tell stories that make an impact, tell them from your heart. Be honest, vulnerable and courageous, even if they seem ugly or are traumatic. Tell stories that really matter to you and speak to you.”
Malaysian director Mickey Lai does this in her short film, WAShhh, one of two winners under that category at the Alternativa Film and Awards Festival (AFAF) 2024 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on Nov 29.
WAShhh is based on her own experience at a National Service camp a decade ago. A possession incident occurred one night and Lai and various female trainees were ordered by their instructor to wash all the stained sanitary pads in a bin, or worse would happen.
Washing pads before disposal is a tradition among Malays. The girls were told some of them had not done that, thus an evil spirit had taken possession at the camp. In WAShhh, a Chinese girl is commanded by the teacher to lead her multi-racial trainees to wash the stained pads. The pressure, anger, confusion and frustration that ensue fracture their relationships.
WAShhh is one of six awards given out at AFAF, which recognises and celebrates artistic works that address important social and cultural issues that affect the lives of people and local communities. The Alternativa Film Project was founded by inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, to support filmmakers from developing industries and make them more visible globally.
