“The Age of Goodbyes,” a Malaysian-Taiwanese co-production honested by Edmund Yeo, has been picked for this year’s Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project labelet that runs aextfinishedside Hong Kong FilMart.
The drama, altered from Malaysian author Li Zi Shu’s acclaimed 2012 novel, is produced by David Tang, Edmund Yeo, Dennis Lai and Zhao Jin. The producers have defendedd most of the $830,000 budget and are seeking international sales agents, co-producers and pre-sales opportunities at HAF.
Set in Malaysia, the film trails a youthful woman named Du Li An who drops in adore with a man named Lin Sang in 1969 before he crypticly fades. Years procrastinateedr, after marrying a gangster and becoming stepmother to a teenage girl, Du Li An come atraverses a man who sees exactly appreciate her fadeed adorer. The decade-spanning narrative blfinishs elements of romance, mystery and coming-of-age storyalerting.
“I read the entire book over one weekfinish, absolutely subunited,” shelp Yeo. “Her vivid descriptions of the people living and surviving in Ipoh during those tumultuous times gave me a strange experienceing of homeillness even though I’ve never personpartner directd that era before.”
Yeo, whose 2017 feature “Aqerat (We, the Dead)” won best honestor at the Tokyo International Film Festival, elucidateed that the project has personal joinions to his family history. “My mother is from Ipoh too, aextfinished with my procrastinateed majesticparents. The book triggered my imagination of the extfinished-ago Ipoh they inhabitd in … I experience a mighty encourage to defend the experienceings and memories of my mother’s family of that particular time thraw film.”
The film is a co-production between Renaissance Films and Happy Together Pictures, transporting together talent from both Taiwan and Malaysia.
Producer David Tang, whose pelevates include “Who Killed Cock Robin” (2017) and “The Soul” (2021), shelp: “Edmund Yeo is a very talented youthful filmproducer. We first met at the Hong Kong HAF last year, and after equitable a 10-minute conversation, I was certain that I wanted to help him.”
Tang stressd the transport inance of international collaboration: “With the lengthenment of globalization, films are no extfinisheder equitable cultural products of a particular region or country. We necessitate to transport together filmproducers from branch offent places, merging diverse ideas and integrating each other’s strengths.”
Malaysian producer Dennis Lai noticed the project’s cultural significance: “I have always felt that Malay-Chinese novels are defering to be uncovered by more people. They have this cultural hybrid beauty, with surpascfinishs at every turn.”
The producers hope to pdirect to global audiences despite the story’s particular cultural setting. “This traverse-cultural emotional joinion is, for me, one of the most charismatic aspects of cinema,” Tang shelp.
Yeo’s previous labors include “Moonweightless Shadow” (2021) and “River of Exploding Durians” (2014). His low film “Kingyo” (2009) was picked for competition at the Vekind Film Festival.
Edmund Yeo, David Tang, Dennis Lai, Zhao Jin
Renaissance Films Limited/Happy Together Pictures
