FILMS that explore inequality in mental health, ageing and the environment against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic will take centre stage at this year’s Freedom Film Festival.

The festival, organised by Freedom Film Network (FFN) is making a physical comeback at PJ Live Arts, Petaling Jaya, September 9-17 after a three-year hiatus.

It will feature films in the theme of the Pandemic of Inequality (Pandemik Dua Darjat).

The Malaysian Insight spoke to three filmmakers who received a RM14,000 grant from FFN for their films, what it means to them and why people should care about the issues they highlighted.

Evelyn Teh, 38, a researcher with background on urban studies decided to make a film about ageing, with the main protagonist being her aunt.

Her film, Grey Scale, explores the life of her 80-year-old aunt, who lives alone in Penang, in a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood.

The film is set during the lockdown, and follows her aunt as she tries to navigate life and rapid changes during this period.

“I thought about the elderly because their stories don’t get the time of day and their causes are often fought by old people,” Teh said.

“It explored how the elderly coped with the pandemic while also coping with ageing. (We forget that) if we get to live that long this will be us.”

Teh had initially wanted to focus on ageing from the point of a city designer, but felt that it would not be an inclusive conversation.

“These days older people when they are infirm they end up in hospice, but what about those who want to live independently?

“This documentary explores that. It is a story to which people can relate, whether they see themselves a few decades down the road, or have an elderly relative going through the same thing, or when they think about retirement.”

For Amirul Ramthan, 32, a digital artist and illustrator, he wanted to highlight the stigma that society has on people suffering from mental health issues.

His documentary, Fafa: Perjuangan Yang Tak Didendang is narrated by his friend Fafa who is has been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The documentary melds daily footage of Fafa’s life with illustrations of what she goes through when she hears voices around her.

“I suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I want to highlight what those of us who have mental illness have to live with by way of illustrations and animation,” Amirul said.

“In this documentary, Fafa is narrating her life. There are several things I want to get across, like how she first experienced her delusions, followed by her childhood experiences, the stigma and denial that her parents faced which led to her being diagnosed late, how she coped when she finally got on medication and how she had to face discrimination at work because of her condition.”

Amirul said those who have mental health conditions are often side-lined by society.

“Fafa’s story is a representation for other mental health patients. She is one of the thousands of patients in Malaysia.

“I want to highlight that when we try to be independent and earn money we also have to struggle with a society that discriminates against them.

“When people think about mental health, they think about suicidal tendencies, but a lot of the time this is due to societal pressure.

“Yet, there are many of us who get on medication and have supportive people and we live normally. It is no different than someone with diabetes. But when society limits us, it is tough.”

Amirul, who is a first-time film-maker, is hoping that his documentary will be put to good use after the festival by organisations that work with mental health patients to champion for change.

Meanwhile, another FFN grant recipient, Umashankari Yomarakuro, 36, decided to focus on environmental issues for her documentary.

Yomarakuro’s documentary Can’t Run, Can’t Hide highlights the plight of residents in Kampung Sungai Manggis and Kuala Langat in Selangor, who are seeing their once green space being taken over by factories spewing foul chemicals.

“I have been working with the residents for two years.

“This project is close to my heart, I feel their pain as the pollution is affecting their lives. I applied for the grant from FFN knowing that this story needs to be told.”

Yomarakuro has been making films since 2012.

During the pandemic, she was sponsored by Malaysiakini offshoot the Kini Academy to take an investigative journalism course.

Her first foray into environmental issues came in the form of highlighting a land issue in Batu Caves.

“I would like the resident’s voice to be heard. It should not be double standards,” she said.

“The authorities should not prioritise one party over the other. The pollution effect might not be seen immediately, but if we don’t maintain our environment it is pointless.

“We cut away the forest and build concrete jungles and then spend extra to plant trees, that is pointless. There must be balance to development.”

All three films will be screened on Malaysia Day on September 16. Passes for the screening can be purchased on CloudTix. – August 28, 2022.