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THE gala screening of Malaysian action film, ‘Barbarian Invasion’ was at MBO Cinema, Atria Mall last night.
The guests at the screening included producer Woo Ming Jin, director Tan Chui Mui, actors Pete Teo, Mano Maniam, Nik Hadiff Dani, Zhiny Ooi, Wai Hoong, Clarence Chua and Aaron Chung.
‘Barbarian Invasion (Malay title: Belenggu)’ is the third feature film directed by Malaysian award-winning director Tan Chui Mui. The actor-director underwent extensive training in martial arts in order to perform all of her own stunts.
During the interview, Tan said, “The producer sent me to Phillipines, Cebu, and Thailand for training before the shoot. In 2019, I learned Brazilian JiuJitsu for the film, and I am still practising it now almost every day.”
During the event, Tan also showcased a performance of Eksrima and Brazilian Jiujitsu, which is one of the martial arts depicted in the movie.
Of the main cast members, Pete Teo and Tan have been friends for more than 20 years. When Tan asked him to play the ‘Director’ role inside the film without a page of the script written, he immediately agreed. He said, “I think the character I played inside the film, was actually playing and reflecting the character of Tan Chui Mui in real life.”
Mano Maniam, who plays a monk in the film, was actually Tan’s teacher in a theatrical class before.
The gala screening also invited film industry practitioners, including producer-director Suhaimi Baba, director Zulkarnain Azhar, Tunku Mona Riza, producer David Teo and so on.
Suhaimi Baba said, “It is a beautiful and great film, I really love the action scene. It is quite cute using the reference of Bourne Identity, I am gonna see the film again, because it is like Tan’s real life performance in the movie.”
Producer Haris Sulong said, “I think it's a very interesting film, it showcases a lot of martial arts. It got a slight humour, very interesting and well-crafted. It is a clever film, you move from reality into film set seamlessly and also showcases a lot of personal perseverance, it is a powerful message to set across. I really enjoy it.”
‘Barbarian Invasion’ will be shown in more than 30 Malaysian cinemas starting Thursday, November 24. – The Vibes, November 16, 2022