IN a sort of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it manner, the Malaysian independent film Adam Ashburn’s Showreel – directed by and starring my former students Roger Liew and Amir Rahim respectively – launched itself exclusively online on July 1 to unsuspecting audiences.

Consequently, due to the timing of its release, it also got swept aside from the media circus of Mat Kilau and the recent crackdown on Crackhouse Comedy Club. 

Dubbed a “love/hate letter to Malaysian cinema”, the film follows the journey of first-time actor Adam Abu Bakar (Adam Ashburn, you get it?) who stumbles onto a movie audition that propels him into movie stardom as he is immediately cast into the lead role of the most ambitious actor’s showreel in Malaysia. 

The timing of the film’s release is perfect to me, considering the noisy cultural politics of the country.

For a performer or actor, a showreel is a collection of edited video material or clips of the actor performing on camera or highlights from their film works, which is compiled and submitted to casting directors who are looking for talents for their next project.

A showreel gives them a sense of who the actor is as a performer and is usually updated to include their latest works. 

It is a portfolio of an artists’ works, highlighting their strengths and what sets them apart from others, while also emphasising on what “sells” about them.

Both being alumni of the Diploma in Performing Arts programme I used to teach in Sunway University but from different cohorts (Liew is Amir’s senior), this is the sort of networking that lasts a lifetime I often emphasise with my students.

Many long-lasting creative relationships have been borne out of the time spent in university among my former students (supporting actors Aaron Teoh, Ali Alasri and Yiky Chew, and cinematographer Shah Shaha are also alumni of the programme). 

The film is what I like best about independent art-making – one that follows its own heart and path based on, and leveraging on, personal perspectives and experiences as its creative source. 

Commercial or mainstream art-making often has its eye on commerce first and foremost – what sells in not only the star power but also the ideas that latch on the status quo for better or worse (Mat Kilau is an excellent example of this).

While the recent Spilt Gravy: Dimana Tumpah Kuah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyX-bMUqJBw&t=2s shares the same independent roots as Adam Ashburn’s Showreel, it had a cinematic release, which meant dealing with the censorship board.

To this end, Adam Ashburn’s Showreel doesn’t have to deal with the board as it is only available online – a small price to pay for the freedom to say what you wanna say.

While it has been a challenge getting eyes and ears onto the film, staying independent also allows the film to use subtle humour to critique the “norms” of the film and media industry with a stiff middle finger to the Man. It is punk rock on digital celluloid by a “majmuk”, truly Asia crew – very Malaysian to the core. 

The roots of the film began when lead actor Amir approached producer Thiyaga Marimuthu for help in shooting something short for his annual showreel – which he does on his YouTube channel every year to highlight his acting prowess in various projects. 

“The year 2020 was a wasteland for film projects and we were perplexed with Amir’s relentless drive to have a showreel that year. This eventually transformed into Adam Ashburn’s showreel, the ultimate showreel for my dear friend”, Liew said.

The fact that Liew thought to himself, “Why not make a film made up of a showreel itself?” as a method makes the film itself a self-conscious and meta reflection on the film industry and our expectations of it collectively – something we don’t do enough as a community. 

Shot and completed during the pandemic  – a feat in itself – the film takes an unvarnished look at itself and what values we espouse as “talent” through the eyes of the protagonist Adam – whom we see develop from a savant doe-eyed contender to a jaded and angry could-have-been – and the omnipresent and unflinching lenses of the showreel, which either showcases or comments itself upon Adam’s own strengths and weaknesses as an actor. 

The private lives of actors and stars are often the focus and fodder of the media – the Malaysian entertainment media (notably the Malay language ones), just like most commercial enterprises, distracts audiences and talents alike with the allure of “being” an artist as opposed to the “craft”.

The process, as this film highlights and finds its inspiration from, sometimes makes a compelling tale in itself.

If you’re sick of the rhetoric-laden mainstream films, go catch this film, which is only available online until July 31. – July 22, 2022.

* Azmyl Yunor is a touring underground recording artiste, and an academic in media and cultural studies. He has published articles on pop culture, subcultures and Malaysian cultural politics. He adheres to the three-chords-and-the-truth school of songwriting, and Woody Guthrie’s maxim “All you can write is what you see”. He is @azmyl on Twitter.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.