Sunday, March 22, 2009

INVENTING MALAYSIA - The Construction of the Malaysian Simulacrum

Dr Farish A Noor and TheOtherMalaysia present lectures, an exhibition of images & screenings of films

Host:
Type:
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 11:00am
End Time:
Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 7:00pm
Location:
The Annexe Gallery, Central Market Annexe
Street:
Jalan Hang Kasturi
City/Town:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


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Description

INVENTING MALAYSIA
Sat 30 Aug to Sun 31 Aug, 11am to 7pm
Annexe Gallery 5
1st Floor, Central Market Annexe

Inventing Malaysia is a two-day exhibition of images and artifacts that portrays imaginary constructs of Malaya during the Colonial Era to the Present in film, photography and the popular imagination by TheOtherMalaysia and Dr Farish A Noor.

Exploring the historical development of the idea of Malaysia itself, and how ideas of race, ethnicity and "native identity" - from culture ro sexuality - were invented from the colonial era to the present. Inventing Malaysia will include lectures, exhibition of archival materials, and film screenings of movies about Malaya/Malaysia that were made around Merdeka, looking at how Malaya was perceived from the perspective of the Occidental worldview.

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FILMS:

Sat 12.30pm, 4.30pm
1. The Pirate of Malaya (1964): action-packed film about a Malaysian rebel, played by Steve Reeves (the original black & white Superman), who sets out to thwart a British general. Shot on location in Singapore when Singapore was still ours! [106mins]



Sat 2.30pm, 6.30pm
2. Malaya (1949): aka Operation Malaya, during WWII, the CIA sent Spencer Tracy (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and James Stewart (Hitchcock's favourite actor) to Malaya to steal rubber from under the Japanese's noses... [95mins]


Sun 12pm, 4.30pm

3. Outpost in Malaya (1952), aka The Planter's Wife, this "documentary fiction" tells the story of growing tension between a rubber planter and his wife (Claudette Colbert) amidst the lush rubber estate and Malayan cities... [91mins]

Sun 1.45pm, 6pm

4. Lord Jim (1965): based on novel by Joseph Conrad, about a seaman (Peter O Toole) whose ship carrying pilgrims on their way to Mecca sank, drowning everyone. He then hides in Malaya to look for redemption... [154mins]

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Dr Farish Noor will also, as part of Inventing Malaysia and Seksualiti Merdeka, present his lecture:

"FROM PANJI TO THE PRESENT – A short history of sexuality in Malaysia and South East Asia"

which will explore the notion that the South East Asian and Malaysian discourse on sexuality has always been fluid. Catch that on Sunday 31 August, from 12pm to 2pm, where Seksualiti Merdeka is happening next door to the Inventing Malaysia exhibition.

INVENTING MALAYSIA is happening in conjunction with Art For Grabs, Seksualiti Merdeka and Merdeka Cafe.

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