23 Oct – Amanda Nell Eu recently expressed her objection over the Malaysian Censorship Board's decision to cut several scenes from her movie, "Tiger Stripes" for local release. In a statement released on Instagram recently, the filmmaker stated that she does not stand behind the cut that will be shown in cinemas in Malaysia, stating that while she is not attacking the Censorship Board, she wants everybody to know that the film that will be shown is not the film that they have made or the one that won the Grand Prize of Critics Week in Cannes.
"What has been censored from the film is the very joy of being a young girl in Malaysia. A young girl who is maybe different from the rest, misunderstood, or has the urge to express herself differently from others - a young girl who is innocent and curious about the world around her and fights for her existence in this world," she posted.
Eu stated that her production company's very ethos is to fight for these voices and celebrate safe space for freedom of expression, and that it saddens them that this type of girl "has to be censored from public view." She stressed that they respect the differences of opinions and sensitivities in the country, and that she wishes that they had more freedom to discuss things openly instead of quickly condemn and punish each other. The upcoming movie, which follows a 12-year-old girl and her experience of undergoing puberty, is Malaysia's selection to represent the country for the Best International Film of the upcoming 96th Academy Awards. "Tiger Stripes" has been screening in local cinemas since 19 October.