Malaysian film animators have had quite a year. With Upin & Ipin: Keris Siamang Tunggal being nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2020 Oscars, now there’s Batik Girl, making its round in the global animation arena, showcasing in 26 film festivals across in 17 countries!
Photo: Facebook Batik Girl
From the creators of Astro’s Wizards of Warna Walk, R&D studios came out with Batik Girl, that features the beautifully intricate designs of Malaysia’s batik through the eyes of an orphan girl who lives with her grandmother and is struggling to cope with the loss of her parents.
Batik Girl essentially invites the audience into the world of batik with its mesmerizing visuals of batik designs in this inviting 9-minute animation film.
The animated film was made successful through the collaboration between R&D Studios, writer Heidi Shamsuddin, Tudidut Studio, and Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Faculty of Music alongside the support from The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
According to Director Iwan Junaidy, the idea for Batik girl came to him when he and Heidi attended the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy back in 2017 after meeting a couple who were fascinated by a batik tablecloth at the festival. Since most people have heard of batik before and find them visually appealing, he thought why not create an animation that utilizes Batik since there hasn’t been one like it before.
Photo: Youtube Batik Girl
“We wanted to tell the story which is based around Batik but at the heart of the story, the emotional core of the story, is about relationships. And in Batik Girl in particular, the relationship between the granddaughter and the grandmother” said Iwan.
Batik Girl won the best short animated film at Festival de Largos y Cortos de Santiago in Chile and the Honourable Mention in Audience Favourites award at the Florida Animation Festival, while bagging a Gold Medal in the Regional category at the 20th Digicon6 Asia in Japan.
Photo: Facebook Batik Girl
Professor Richard William Allen the Dean, School of Creative Media and Chair/Professor of Film and Media Art, City University of Hong Kong when presenting the award at Digicon6 Asia said, "It’s a whimsical, truly beautiful film that celebrates through the glorious forms and colours of animation, a life transforming nature of the creative imagination. I think actually the film is a profound meditation on the very idea of animation"
Congratulations to the team behind the success of Batik Girl and thank you for sharing to the world the beauty of Malaysia batik!
By: Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
