The concept of meta in cinema has been on the rise lately, with a number of movies about movies coming to the fore, with different approaches, from “Why Don't You Play in Hell?” to “Nina Wu” and everything between. Soon Teik Ong presents a short that also has the concept as its base, but essentially moves into a whole different direction.
“Neither Nor” is screening at Busan International Short Film Festival
Three graduate Chinese students, one boy and two girls, are shooting a film in the balcony of an apartment building, and talking about how the protagonist (one of the girls) will jump for the sake of the movie. The dynamics among them become evident from this very first scene. The protagonist expresses her issues with how the scene is shot, the girl who acts as the director listens and responds to her, before she mentions that next, they will shoot in a mosque. The boy, who acts as the cameraman, states his reluctance for shooting in such a “sensitive” place, only to be put down harshly by the director. The trio then move into different areas, all the while talking about their future plans after graduation. A bridge, a rural area, the beach, a mall and a rather impressive location are visited next, while a political discussion regarding the Prime Minister is interspersed throughout the movie, which becomes more and more dreamy as time passes.
The first thing everyone will notice is the gorgeous visuals here. The various locations are all impressive and even better captured by DP Khai Ken Lim, with his framing being exquisite, either in the long shots or the close ups that make the majority of the movie. In that fashion, it is also interesting to check the role the student who acts as the cameraman in the story has, since his voyeurism is commented on in a number of ways, one of which includes the director giving him the finger. Furthermore, their interactions towards each other can be interpreted as the ones their corresponding capacities (director, actress, cinematographer) have in actual movies, with the scale being quite evident here, in the main meta aspect in the short.
To continue with the context, Soon Teik Ong has induced his movie with a permeating sense of pessimism, mostly deriving from the discussions the three have about their future, as it seems that they are either forced to do something or have no idea about what they will be doing. The political discussion heard throughout the movie, as much as the footage in the end, seem to comment on the “neither nor” Malaysian identity the three experience as Chinese who live in the country, and also regarding racism, but I found it very difficult to realize exactly what this part is about.
As the 25 minute short progresses, a certain sense of dreaminess becomes a main factor, with the subtle piano music also pointing towards the same path. This sense is actually cemented after a point, adding a question of what was real and what not, with the scene in the location that might as well be Paradise and the event that takes place there, functioning as the dichotomy, in a sequence that is also the most shocking in the movie.
Eric Sim Meng Hong plays the cameraman in almost complete silence, again in the meta prism described above. Nickie Chia Lee Mei as the tomboyish director creates a very entertaining antithesis with the boy of the group, while Phan Jing Mun as the actress has a role that lingers between the diva and the daredevil, as the mall scene highlights. The chemistry of the three is excellent and their acting is quite fitting with the general aesthetics of the movie.
Lastly, Soon Teik Ong and Khai Ken Lim's editing results in a leisure pace that is again fitting, while the occasionally sudden cuts work quite well in terms of entertainment.
“Neither Nor” is an impressive short, both visually and contextually, and one that will appeal to all kinds of audience, even to those who do not fully grasp the sociopolitical undertone here, not to mention, that as a “tour guide” to Malaysia, the film will definitely make its audience wishing to visit the country.
