Join us for a highly anticipated screening of the award-winning film "Snow in Midsummer 《五月雪》" followed by a live Q&A with Director Chong Keat Aun, moderated by Quentin Tan (UCLA). Admission is free and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Watch the Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2DhwQHSn0
Note: Please arrive at least 30 minutes early, as seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Paid parking is available in Lot 3 and visitors can purchase permits at the pay station. The film will play in Malay, Mandarin and Cantonese with English subtitles.
On 13th May 1969, while Ah Eng and her mother are watching the Chinese opera at a Temple in Kuala Lumpur, her father Kooi and brother Yeow are at the Majestic Theatre. Until 13th May 1969, Malaysia is generally regarded to have been one of the most successful examples of multiracial peace and harmony, primarily due to the democratic partnership among the country’s Malay, Chinese and Indian communities, none of which had a clear majority. Amid post-election tensions a violent riot takes place, with word spreading across the city that partisan thugs are invading the Chinese sections and indiscriminately killing innocent people. In a panic, Ah Eng and her mother take shelter behind an opera stage where they hide for the whole night. In the subsequent days, unrestrained violence spreads to other parts of the country. As the Prime Minister declares that the nation is under a state of emergency and martial law is immediately imposed, Ah Eng loses contact with her father and brother.
By 2018, racial riots in Malaysia were an uncommon phenomenon, though there is a constant reminder and threat that the 13th May 1969 riots could recur, an event which had left a deep scar on the nation’s psyche. On 13th May 2018, Ah Eng comes across the Chinese opera chief on that same day all those years ago, and they share a moment of powerless remembrance of a more peaceful period in time.
Chong Keat Aun is an acclaimed Malaysian film director and writer. His directorial debut, The Story of Southern Islet, won Best New Director, as well as the FIPRESCI and NETPAC awards at the 57th Golden Horse Awards. His second feature, Snow in Midsummer《五月雪》, was selected for Giornate degli Autori at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and later earned nine nominations at the 60th Golden Horse Awards. The film won Best Film in the Young Cinema Competition at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival and received the Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival. His latest work, Pavane for an Infant, was shortlisted for the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival, where it held its world premiere.
Quentin Tan is a Ph.D. student in East Asian cultural and media studies at UCLA. He received his BA in the College of Letters and College of East Asian Studies from Wesleyan University. His current project focuses on the relationship between language, script, and temporality in contemporary Sinophone cultural productions, while his broader research interests include critical theory, translation, and media studies.
