MORE often than not, big-screen plots on special needs children tend to focus on their suffering, providing audiences with tear-jerkers or stories of hope and inspiration.
However, husband-wife team Yasu and Bea Tanaka, who made the 2015 thriller 'Nota', have taken a different approach.
In their second feature film, 'magiK', a young deaf girl is portrayed as a super heroine who possesses a special gift that saves her village, a tourist attraction, from harmful "modernity" and helps her long-suffering father keep his job.
The Tanakas, through their production company 42nd Pictures, are presenting a film that explores the world of the hearing impaired, especially children, and depicts them as gifted individuals rather than handicapped.
FANTASY DRAMA
The two-hour fantasy drama, which hit cinemas on Thursday, is directed by Tanaka and produced by Bea.
It introduces 11-year-old Qisya Hairulzain as Kit, a 7-year-old who is deaf but has the gift of communicating with the many fireflies at her village Kampung Kuantan in Kuala Selangor.
The film's star-studded cast also includes Beto Kusyairy, Nadia Aqilah, Nam Ron, Ruminah Sidek, Roy Azman, Kamarul Eqifshah and Chacko Vadaketh.
"magiK is about communication as well as family and the environment.
"Our heroine, Kit, is deaf and communicates using sign language, but even though she cannot hear, she has the ability to understand what the fireflies are 'saying' and in the process learns that there is trouble in her neighbourhood courtesy of a resort developer," Tanaka said at the press preview of 'magiK' held at TGV Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur recently.
TOURIST DESTINATION
"The idea of setting our new film in Kampung Kuantan, Kuala Selangor, came two years ago when Bea and I visited the popular tourist destination, where visitors go on late night boat rides to see the fireflies along the banks of Sungai Selangor.
"We gave our heroine, whose father is a boatman, the ability to communicate with fireflies whenever they visit her past bedtime, and from them she learns of a developer's plans to build a tourist resort in the vicinity which would severely affect the fireflies' habitat," Tanaka added.
Bea said the film is inspired by her work with deaf people as well as Tanaka's love of nature.
"We want to tell a story from a deaf girl's point of view and show viewers that Kit's deafness is not a handicap for her but a special gift which helps her save the habitat of her firefly friends and the tourism industry in which her father works."
NATIONWIDE ROADSHOW
The Tanakas took 'magiK' on a nationwide roadshow in September and October, with screenings in Kuantan, Sungai Petani, George Town, Ipoh, Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur, specially to give rural and small-town viewers a chance to catch the heartwarming film that pays tribute to special children and environmentalism.
Bea, who hails from Ipoh, said: "magiK was screened in Ipoh for two days at PORT Ipoh and deaf students supported by the Perak Association of the Deaf watched it.
"They came from special education schools selected by the Perak Education Department."
Bea, who taught deaf students for 15 years before she became a filmmaker, also thanked the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) for assisting the production company with its digital content fund.
MASTERING A NEW SKILL
magiK was screened at Warung Adri, Kuantan on Sept 16, SPace 08000, Sungai Petani (Sept 29), YMCA Kuala Lumpur (Oct 1), YMCA George Town (Oct 7), PORT Ipoh (Oct 14 and 15) and Embrace Hall, Johor Baru (Oct 20).
The Kuala Lumpur screening was held in conjunction with International Deaf Day.
Tanaka said: "The deaf community was very happy to watch 'magiK'. They praised us for depicting sign language accurately.
"We are very thankful to the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf for giving us useful lessons about the hearing impaired, and these came in handy for Kit's character development."
Throughout the 20 days of filming in May 2022, Qisya, Nadia and Beto learnt sign language from Bea.
"Sign language is very useful, it enables us to understand special needs people," Beto said.
Nadia added: "I'm glad I have more or less mastered a new skill."
Tanaka said it was a blessing that it did not rain heavily during the filming in Kuala Selangor.
"Filming in this amazing little town has been a lifelong dream for Bea and I. Kampung Kuantan is the only firefly destination where traditional boatmen row their boats for tourists."
IDENTIFYING WITH KIT
Meanwhile, Qisya, who is the niece of veteran actress Haliza Misbun, said she could easily identify with her character, Kit.
"She is a lonely girl. She finds comfort in talking to the fireflies, and learns the importance of preserving nature."
The teenager also said that as a city girl who seldom visited rural areas, the filming in Kuala Selangor was a great experience for her.
"Those boat rides were awesome. I had to be careful not to fall into the river."
Qisya added that it was great to acquire a new skill which she planned to put to good use.
"It has been great to work with Mr and Mrs Tanaka, they are such wonderful people."
Tanaka, who auditioned Qisya in Kuala Selangor, described her as his "best new discovery" in acting.
"Qisya is a natural who is very expressive. She learns fast and is keen on doing new things. Her work ethic is superb and she is very focused," he said.