UNLIKE most local films, Bu, which opened in cinemas yesterday, is a family drama revolving around a mother’s love as its central theme.
Also uncommon with Bu (which is short for ibu or mother), the film directed by Jeany Amir features three parallel narratives, that tell three different stories where things are not all they seem to be. However, they are all connected with one another in the beginning.
While this is Jeany’s feature film debut, she has been a commercial producer and director for Addstudio, having directed TV commercials, short films and music videos since 2010.
The first story is about a couple — Diana and Zack (played by Mawar Rashid and Iedil Putra) — who don’t want to start a family yet as Diana wants to focus on her career.
But Zack’s mother, Kak Mah (Dian P. Ramlee), does not agree with the idea as she wants them to have kids right away.
However, neither Kak Mah nor Diana know that Zack’s architect firm has gone out of business.
Meanwhile, housewife Aishah (Nadiya Nisaa) is depressed and feels unappreciated by her husband Norman (Rashidi Ishak) who is so caught up with his work as a doctor. Their teenage daughter Julie (Tia Sarah) is rarely home, preferring to spend time with her cosplayer friends.
The family starts to grow apart, causing Aishah to wonder if her decision to sacrifice her own dreams for her family had been worthwhile.
In the third story, Hafiz (Remy Ishak) and his wife Norimah (Nadia Brian) are expecting their first child, after many years of trying. Although Hafiz has lost his job as a cook, their relationship becomes better than before. Norimah even encourages her husband to pursue his dream of becoming a novelist.
Everything seems to be going well until Norimah finds out that her pregnancy is at risk due to her age. She has to be extremely careful to ensure the safety of both herself and her unborn baby.
It is when Zack, who accidentally hits Aishah after quarelling with Diana while driving, that their lives become intertwined. The pregnant Narimah is almost hit by the same car when walking with Hafiz by the roadside.
MUM’S THE WORLD
“It’s really an interesting script which focuses on mothers. In the movie, we get to see mothers in various perspectives.
“While one sacrifices everything for her family, another is waiting to become a mother, while the third character refuses to become a mother yet,” says veteran actor Wan Hanafi Su.
The 69-year-old actor plays bookshop owner Johar, one of the lead characters in the movie.
Wan Hanafi, who has been acting for five decades, finds the treatment of the story and plotlines truly interesting.
“Maybe because it had been written by scriptwriters whom I’m not used to or may be they had taken a different perspective to look at the storylines. But I found that to be just brilliant, to present an idea that is universal and yet something we take for granted,” he says, adding that he’ll continue acting as long as people want to see him onscreen.
Initially, the younger cast of Bu were somewhat intimidated by the formidable actor when they first realised that he was involved in the project. But they admitted that they felt honoured to be working with such an experienced actor.
“The lineup is impressive, but it was Wan Hanafi’s name that made me a little nervous initially,” shares Rashidi, 45.
Nadiya, 33, chips in: “Right, I just went like, wow. This would be my first time working with him. What an honour!”
While his co-stars were dewy-eyed, the veteran artiste says he does not believe in being cocky on set, even when working with much younger actors and actresses.
“If there is any artiste who refuses to talk to his co-stars, it is his prerogative. I have no comments about how others conduct themselves.
“But for me, I take my own initiative to break the ice when I see someone I’ve never worked with before. It’s much nicer to create a pleasant working environment,” he says.
GOOD STORY
“As a mother myself, I could totally empathise with some of the characters, including the one I play. But of course not the part about Aishah feeling unappreciated,” says Nadiya, who has two young children — Omar, 8, and three-month-old Aminah Rose.
Adds 35-year-old Iedil: “The story is realistic and as such, I believe many will be able to relate it to their own lives. The three parallel narratives are like art imitating life. And many may even have experienced the dilemma my character goes through in real life.”
Wan Hanafi says it is common for similar stories to take place in different communities and in different parts of the world, or even in different time frames.
“The story is very universal. So much so the same script is also being used by a production in China,” he shares.
According to Bu’s producer, mm2 Entertainment, the script, which was written by Choor Choon Keat, Jeffrey Chiang and Hamiza Abdul Halim, is also being filmed in Mandarin.
Titled No Time For Mom, the China-based production lists stars such as Singaporean-based actor Li Nanxing and Taiwanese actress Tien Hsin.
However, no release date has been announced yet.
Rashidi believes that although this may be Jeany’s directorial debut for a feature film, she will create an impact with her work.
“I wasn’t familiar with her at all. But after the script-reading session, I could tell that this is one young director to watch out for,” he says.
Jeany is the youngest recipient of the grant offered by the Malaysian Multimedia Development Corporation to pursue her studies in High Definition Television Studies at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, California.
Besides directing, she also produces, writes scripts and does film editing.