KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Terengganu has banned Pulau from being screened in the state, producer Fred Chong confirmed before adding that he intended to appeal the decision.
In a virtual interview, Chong said his appeal has already been prepared and he was awaiting a letter of support from the Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) before leaving for Kuala Terengganu to try and convince the state’s officials to reverse the decision.
“On February 9, TGV as an exhibitor received a letter from the Kemaman Municipal Council regarding the Terengganu state executive council’s decision to ban the movie Pulau from being shown in the state.
“The state government’s decision causes concern. For us, it is a dangerous move because it can influence other states to take the same action. We are waiting for a letter of support from FINAS. I will go to Kuala Terengganu as soon as I get permission from the state government.
“I intend to show Pulau to the representatives of the state government so that they can make an assessment of the storyline that is alleged to have inappropriate scenes as stated in the letter sent to TGV,” he said.
According to Chong, he hoped the state government would accept the request for them to view the movie in order to be objective.
Acknowledging that there were just three cinemas in the state, Chong explained that it was still important to contest the decision on principle as it could affect other states would treat his movie.
“Many are too quick to pass judgment without first watching the movie Pulau because they are influenced by the trailer of the movie, which is said to be excessive.
“All those who criticise haven’t seen Pulau, but throw various criticisms. What’s wrong with giving this movie a chance?
“At least think about the efforts of the cast and crew who worked hard to learn to dive and had to sit in the forest to make this film a success,” he said.
He also said that the trailer does not fully depict the storyline or the message that the movie is trying to convey and has agreed to cut four scenes that were deemed inappropriate.
“What is shown in the movie trailer is not the same as the entire storyline in the movie. If it contains elements of ‘soft porn’ as alleged, of course the Pulau movie does not get the approval of the Film Censor Board (LPF), Mandatory Screening Terms and FINAS.
“LPF gives approval based on the entire film, not based on the trailer alone. In fact, we agree when four scenes in the film are cut,” he said.
Chong said that due to the controversy of the trailer that was shown last January, the producer has already lost almost RM500,000 in withdrawn sponsorships.
He said this made him wary of further possible losses just because of the public’s misunderstanding of the film Pulau.
“We spent RM4 million on the production of the film Pulau. But we had to bear the loss and possibly a lot after the controversy.
“The production could not afford to invest in buying giant billboards and massive gala nights because there was no budget after the sponsors pulled out.
“I was called to hold a press conference today because I have to speak. We are proud when Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh was named best actress in a comedy/musical, at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, recently.
“However, local films are put aside in their own country before being watched. So, how do local films want to continue making strides to the world stage,” he said.
Chong denied that the trailer was posted on the YouTube platform as a marketing strategy, on the contrary, it was aimed at overseas markets.
Pulau is produced by WebTVAsia in collaboration with My Way Pictures and Filmforce Studio and directed by Euho.
Previously, it was reported that the LPF has classified and approved Pulau as a horror movie, despite claims that it contained elements of a sexual nature.
Before the Terengganu state government’s decision to ban the movie, Pulau was expected to be shown in 75 cinemas across the country.
