Sepet
Encyclopedia
Sepet is a 2004 Malaysian romantic comedy drama film set in Ipoh
, Malaysia. Directed by Yasmin Ahmad
, it tells a tale of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay
girl. Sepet is a Malay
word which, in this context, refers to the 'slit eyes' of the Chinese.
selling pirated VCD
s. Contrary to the stereotype
of his social standing, Ah Loong is an incurable romantic with an unlikely hobby: He loves to read and write poetry
. Quite content with being the Romeo
of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes a sudden turn one day when a Malay schoolgirl
, Orked, arrives at his stall while looking for films starring her favorite actor
Takeshi Kaneshiro
. Love
blossoms between Orked and Ah Loong, although there are social and racial pressures
that stand in their way.
In the end, Ah Loong is involved in a motor vehicle accident while Orked is going to England
to pursue her studies. It is not clear if he lived or died until the sequel, Gubra
which shows that Jason really did die. After the credits finish rolling however, Orked is shown wearing a wedding ring
sleeping beside Jason, who also has a wedding ring. In Mukhsin
, Jason and the adult Orked are shown to be living together. However, the adult Orked is not called by her name in this scene as the young Orked is.
2005
Ninth Malaysian Video Awards
27th Créteil International Women's Film Festival
in France
18th Malaysian Film Festival
Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards
Anugerah Era 2005
, was filmed in Ipoh, Malaysia and released in 2006
. The third movie in Yasmin Ahmad's Orked trilogy is a prequel to both Sepet and Gubra
, titled Mukhsin
.
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, Malaysia. Directed by Yasmin Ahmad
Yasmin Ahmad
Yasmin Ahmad was a film director, writer and scriptwriter from Malaysia and was also the executive creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur. Her television commercials and films are well-known in Malaysia for their humour, heart and love that crosses cross-cultural barriers, in particular her...
, it tells a tale of a love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay
Malay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
girl. Sepet is a Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
word which, in this context, refers to the 'slit eyes' of the Chinese.
Plot
19-year old Ah Loong (who also called himself "Jason") is in charge of a stallMarket stall
A market stall is a typically immobile, temporary structure erected by merchants to display and shelter their merchandise in a street market or other setting. Stalls are easily erected, taken down or simply moved on wheels...
selling pirated VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
s. Contrary to the stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
of his social standing, Ah Loong is an incurable romantic with an unlikely hobby: He loves to read and write poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. Quite content with being the Romeo
Romeo Montague
Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes a sudden turn one day when a Malay schoolgirl
Schoolgirl
A schoolgirl is a girl attending either primary or secondary school, generally aged between four and eighteen years old.-Academic performance:This has led in some countries to calls for greater equality for education in the school system...
, Orked, arrives at his stall while looking for films starring her favorite actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Takeshi Kaneshiro , born October 11, 1973, is a Taiwan-born Japanese actor and singer.-Name:...
. Love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
blossoms between Orked and Ah Loong, although there are social and racial pressures
Peer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...
that stand in their way.
In the end, Ah Loong is involved in a motor vehicle accident while Orked is going to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to pursue her studies. It is not clear if he lived or died until the sequel, Gubra
Gubra
Gubra is a 2006 Malaysian film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It was shot in 14 days in Ipoh, Malaysia. It is the sequel to Sepet, and was followed by Mukhsin.-Name:...
which shows that Jason really did die. After the credits finish rolling however, Orked is shown wearing a wedding ring
Wedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
sleeping beside Jason, who also has a wedding ring. In Mukhsin
Mukhsin
Mukhsin is a 2007 Malaysian film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It is the third installment in the "Orked" trilogy. Shot in just 12 days, it won one award and one special mention at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival under the children's film category: International Jury of Generation Kplus -...
, Jason and the adult Orked are shown to be living together. However, the adult Orked is not called by her name in this scene as the young Orked is.
Cast
- Choo Seong Ng as Jason (Ah Loong)
- Sharifah AmaniSharifah AmaniSharifah Amani Syed Zainal Rashid Al-Yahya is a Malaysian actress. She is the second daughter of veteran Malaysian actress, Fatimah Abu Bakar. Sharifah is of Malay-Chinese-Arab-Bengali parentage and speaks fluent English, Malay and some Hindi...
as Orked - Linus ChungLinus ChungLinus Chung is an independent filmmaker currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Born on April 22, 1980 in Kuching, Sarawak. He spent his formative years in the small city....
as Keong - Mei Ling Tan as Mah (Ah Loong's mother)
- Ida NerinaIda NerinaIda Nerina Hussain is a Malaysian actress, producer and director.In 2008, Nerina and friend Tania Khan were selected to race in the reality TV Show The Amazing Race Asia, season 3, where they finished third in Phuket, Thailand....
as Mak (Orked's mother) - Harith Iskander as Abah (Orked's father)
- Adibah NoorAdibah NoorAdibah Noor is a Malaysian artiste. She is a singer, actress, emcee, voiceover and ad talent. She has been in showbiz for 13 years.- Film :*Sepet *Gubra *Mukhsin *Buli Balik*Talentime *Crayon *Nasi Lemak 2.0...
as Kak Yam - Kar Hoong Thor as Pah (Ah Loong's father)
- Zehan Marissa as Lin
Awards
18th Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
2005
- Best Asian Film Award
Ninth Malaysian Video Awards
- Best Film
27th Créteil International Women's Film Festival
Créteil International Women's Film Festival
The Créteil International Women's Film Festival is an annual event in Créteil, Paris, France founded by Jackie Buet in 1978 to showcase the directing talents of female filmmakers who, at the time, had difficulty getting their films adequately distributed. The first festival was held in 1979 in Sceaux...
in France
- Best Film
18th Malaysian Film Festival
- Best Film
- Best Original Screenplay (Yasmin Ahmad)
- Best Poster
- Best Supporting Actress (Ida Nerina)
- Most Promising Actor (Ng Choo Seong)
- Most Promising Actress (Sharifah Amani)
Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards
- Best Film
Anugerah Era 2005
- Best Film
Sequels
The sequel to Sepet, called GubraGubra
Gubra is a 2006 Malaysian film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It was shot in 14 days in Ipoh, Malaysia. It is the sequel to Sepet, and was followed by Mukhsin.-Name:...
, was filmed in Ipoh, Malaysia and released in 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
. The third movie in Yasmin Ahmad's Orked trilogy is a prequel to both Sepet and Gubra
Gubra
Gubra is a 2006 Malaysian film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It was shot in 14 days in Ipoh, Malaysia. It is the sequel to Sepet, and was followed by Mukhsin.-Name:...
, titled Mukhsin
Mukhsin
Mukhsin is a 2007 Malaysian film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It is the third installment in the "Orked" trilogy. Shot in just 12 days, it won one award and one special mention at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival under the children's film category: International Jury of Generation Kplus -...
.