It’s always interesting to see how cultures collide. Besides making for a unique storyline, the element of conflict is something which many films can bank on, as they are often created in order to reach a satisfying resolution.
When a 12-year-old girl grew up her entire life in the Big Apple, she is bound to be accustomed to the Western culture. What happens then when she is taken out from the big city and relocated to Malaysia to live with a conservative grandfather? This is the exact premise of The Kid From The Big Apple.
Set to be released in Malaysian cinemas on 10 March, the 2-hour film produced by Three Production has recently won 4 awards at the 7th Macau International Movie Festival recently. These awards are for the film with the best writing, best actor, best supporting actor and for the best newcomers. Here are 7 facts about this big winner at the recent film festival.
1. Jessica Hester Hsuan is one of the main characters in the film.
For those who have grown up on a steady diet of Cantonese television shows, they would probably be familiar with Jessica Hester Hsuan. In The Kid From The Big Apple, Jessica plays the role of a mother. The maternal role is not one that many fans of the actress has seen her playing before, and this is a refreshing role for the 45-year-old actress to play.
2. The film evokes an interest in culture and respect for our predecessors.
This is no longer common in modern day films set in the present times. Hence, to fuse both East and West, it makes The Kid From The Big Apple all the more worthy for the awards which they have recently received. Grandfather to the 12-year-old Sarah, Gen not only teaches the child some deeply rooted Eastern culture such as calligraphy, but also how to show respect to the elderly—namely him.
3. This is child star Sarah Tan’s first film role.
Sarah has another film in the pipelines and it is in an entirely different genre of horror. However, The Kid From The Big Apple is her first major movie role and she won the ‘Best Newcomer’ award for her convincing role as a bratty child who learns the true meaning of culture.
4. The Kid From The Big Apple was fully shot in Malaysia.
With a well-shot film displaying stunning cinematographic skills, it is easy to mistaken the movie for being shot elsewhere, but it was actually shot locally, which is of course a very proud feat.
5. The film is recognised even in the Big Apple itself.
The film got some serious recognition at the Macau film festival, defeating other tough competition at the festival, including Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 3 and Dante Lam’s To The Fore.
Other than that, it has also gained its recognition in the Hollywood movie scene. The Kid From The Big Apple is an official finalist in the 2014 Hollywood screenplay contest, and an official finalist in the 2013 New York screenplay contest.
6. The film will be sent out for more award competitions.
It’s great to see how much faith the production company has for the film, and with this, they will be sending out The Kid From The Big Apple for more international awards, inclusive of the Golden Horse Awards and the Berlin Film Awards.
7. Movie-goers are playing their part in charity, by watching the film.
On top of being a feel-good movie about family ties and culture, movie-goers can have their feel-good moments too, by watching the film. The Kid From The Big Apple is backed by Mah Sing group and the profits earned from the movie will be channeled to the Mah Sing Foundation. The Mah Sing foundation is a CSR effort by the group, and it is a collaborative effort between entity and film in order to raise funds for notable causes, inclusive of financial assistance and relief schemes for the poor.
The film is a much anticipated movie in the Malaysian scene and it is set to be released in a month’s time. Meanwhile, enjoy the trailer to the film directed by Jess Teong.
