KUALA LUMPUR: Actor and director Shahili Abdan a.k.a. Nam Ron has a notable scene in his movie One Two Jaga which shows police arresting a man who stole out of hunger.
This, he says, almost happened to him two decades ago when he was “broke, starving and down in the dumps”.
“I had just completed my studies at the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy, Aswara, and was desperately seeking employment. I was unable to find work for months, and was as good as cashless,” he said in a news report yesterday.
Nam Ron’s foodstuffs at his rented flat had run out, and he had been deprived of a decent meal for a week.
“I was shy to seek my room mates’ assistance, and one fine day, when I walked into a nearby mini-market, I felt like pinching some foodstuffs when the cashier was not looking.”
However, Nam Ron’s conscience got the better of him, when he dug into his pockets and found a few sen.
“Filmmaker U-Wei Saari’s name promptly appeared in my head, and I quickly took a bus to his office.”
Nam Ron had known U-Wei for more than a year, as the Hanyut director had attended some of his plays and commended him for his acting.
“When I met him in his office, he kindly gave me RM50, and shared a story of his hard times in New York City during his university days.”
U-Wei admitted that he drove cabs and joined film crews to make ends meet. “He said I was fortunate that I was in Malaysia, where society was a lot more caring than in the US. The RM50 saved me from breaking the law.”
Nam Ron said a One Two Jaga character, corrupt policeman Hassan played by Rosdeen Suboh, aptly pointed out in the film that “if we want to gauge the well-being of the economy, just look at the rate of petty theft”. “What Hassan said reflects the sad realities of life.”
One Two Jaga, which opened on Sept 6, focuses on a courageous police officer Hussein (Zahiril Adzim) who exposes his corrupt superiors.
It is also about Indonesian workers who face a lot of hardship as a result of bribe-taking by the authorities.
The film stars Nam Ron, Bront Palarae, Chew Kin Wah, Amerul Affendi, Filipino actor Timothy Castillo and Indonesian actors Ario Bayu and Asmara Abigail.
It was nominated for Best Feature Film at the 17th Asian Film Festival in New York (NYAFF) on June 29.
Last April, the film was screened at the 20th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.