ADAM ZAINAL addressed the subject of teen pregnancy in his short film Kantoi in 2019. The 25-minute film was even nominated for best short film at the Malaysia International Film Festival and Freedom Film Festival.
It has since been screened at numerous schools and events to create awareness on teen pregnancy. It has also attracted the attention of a production house, Super Wonderful Films, which gave him an opportunity to direct his first feature film.
“They loved the way I told my story in Kantoi,” said 25-year-old Adam, a graduate from the Faculty of Cinematic Arts at the Multimedia University in Johor.
The shooting for his feature film will start before year-end. Adam said for now, he is not at liberty to reveal the title of his film or discuss the plot.
“After dissecting my previous short films, I noticed that I have a pattern in my story telling. I love telling stories of youth and immaturity.”
“My central character is always a teenager,” he said.
“Most teenagers can be immature and cannot be blamed for ending up in certain situations, as they are still finding the meaning of life.”
He hinted that his upcoming movie will be about youth and being carefree. Adam has spent a lot of time in preparing a solid script.
“I understand there is going to be a certain expectation on what I am going to present in my first feature film,” he said.
“I feel a certain pressure to live up to this expectation. Initially, I had reservations and wanted to turn down the film offer. But my lecturer told me that if somebody offers you a car, you should take it.”
As such, Adam feels he should grab the opportunity and make the best of the situation.
“When I graduated, I was worried that I woud be jobless. But I am lucky to have this opportunity to tell my stories in a feature length movie. It is an opportunity that every young filmmaker is looking for.”
He pointed out that it was his parents who exposed him to the world of film.
“My parents are movie lovers. My mother loves watching the Oscars and I would join her too. I remember watching my first Oscars at the age of nine.”
Adam said his all-time favourite director is Alejandro G. Inarritu, who directed Birdman and the Revenant.
“I love the way he directs his actors and his actors always get nominated. The way he tackled his story is raw and natural.”
The other director Adam admires is Sofia Coppola, who directed cutting-edge films such as The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette.
“Like me, she also loves to tackle the subject of youth and immaturity,” he said.
In the Malaysian context, he is totally in love with the late Yasmin Ahmad.
“Yasmin changed my life. When I entered film school, I wanted to be a cinematographer.”
But later he found that cinematography was not his cup of tea.
“I was sort of lost. I did not know which direction I should go in.”
When he watched Yasmin’s films, he knew what he wanted to do.
“Like her, I wanted to write my own stories and direct them,” he said.
Adam added that filmmakers should be given more freedom to tackle certain sensitive subjects.
“When we have more freedom, we can be more creative.”
On his childhood years, he said his father had a fruit farm, while his mother was a lecturer who taught Business Management.
“My parents support my ambition to be a filmmaker,” said Adam, who has three siblings.
“I had a chance to go to science stream during my school days. But my father told me that I was more artistically inclined and should stick to the arts instead. My parents have always given me the freedom to pursue whatever makes me happy.”
His favourite activities when he is not working is to do absolutely nothing.
“Filmmaking is a tiring affair. When I am not working, all I want to do is to rest and take a break.”
