- Sep 2

Will you still return next year? – Snow in Midsummer

Written by Ji Li

Troupe Master (played by Malaysian actress Pearlly Chua, known for her roles in Tsai Ming-liang's films I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone and Madame Butterfly) asks, "Will you still return next year?" Ah Eng (played by Taiwanese actress Wan Fang) remains silent for a long time before breaking into tears. The camera then focuses on various tombstones. This dialogue takes place at the mass burial site in Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, a cemetery discovered by the local government in 2009. The victims buried here were from the May 13, 1969, riots (referred to as Peristiwa 13 Mei). Many graves remain unclaimed by relatives to this day. How long can a piece of history be remembered? This is the moment of helplessness and emotional breakdown for Ah Eng. Director Chong Keat Aun, who also wrote the script, extends the lifespan of this history through this film, Snow in Midsummer, reminding people "Lest We Forget."

I think that to love a country begins with understanding its past, and that the hope for a nation's progress begins with a re-evaluation of its history. Some sources define the May 13 incident as a conflict between Malays and Chinese, while more recent materials suggest it was triggered by political struggles among various parties. Therefore, the May 13 incident still lacks an authoritative explanation so far. After reviewing documents and interviewing witnesses, Director Chong adopts a calm and objective perspective, which was presented by his camera. Most of the shots in the film are taken from a distance, observing the characters without movement. Chong mentioned in an interview:

I must admit that if I had made this film at the age of 30, there would have been a lot of anger because when the mass grave was discovered in 2009, I was full of indignation. I felt suppressed and expressed this through intense performances in various environmental art events, seeking to voice the grievances of those silenced under Malaysian politics. But as I grew older and met more people, I somehow let go of my anger gradually. My attitude toward things became gentler. –– said Dir Chong from an interivew with filmaholic.

Thus, in the first part of the film, Chong guides the audience like a time traveller, revisiting this history without disturbing it. The film begins on the morning of May 13, 1969, with the start of a Cantonese opera troupe's performance. This opening showcases the unique style of the film, skilfully combining realism (fixed camera positions, natural acting styles, diegetic sounds) with mysticism (eerie art design, sudden appearances of non-diegetic music with Malay-style tunes). Interestingly, Malaysia, a country that majority of people believe in spirits, holds that all things have spiritual essence. The film features non-human perspectives, such as shots from the ceiling or low angles hiding behind chairs. The camera might become an ant, a deceased person's spirit, etc. Occasionally, supernatural mythological scenes appear, blending realism and ghostly mystique into a unique cinematic atmosphere. After revisiting the May 13 incident, the second part of the film jumps to 2018, following the grown-up Ah Eng searching for the mass grave. (In the first part, Ah Eng is a little girl; in the second part, she has become a middle-aged housewife.) Although the camera still observes from a bystander's perspective, it shifts to handheld, adding a slight shake that enhances the sense of presence. The director subtly transforms the audience from detached observers into empathetic victims accompanying Ah Eng on this quest.

Besides revisiting the May 13 incident, the film also highlights societal changes in Malaysia, such as the evolution of women's status. In the first part, women in 1969's Malaysia held low positions within East Asian society, as reflected in the film's compositions, where they are always at the edges and in their relationships in the family, where they are bullied and submissive. By 2018, Ah Eng had become an independent and assertive woman, markedly different from her mother (even though men remain unchanged, still chauvinistic and violent). Additionally, her sister-in-law is a woman who actively decides her marital status. The film also portrays changes in entertainment from the 60s, with traditional opera troupes declining and cinemas becoming mainstream.

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival's Giornate degli Autori, winning a special mention in the Musa Cinema and Arts award. It was subsequently nominated for nine Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. This is Director Chong Keat Aun's second feature film after winning the Best New Director at the Golden Horse Awards for The Story of Southern Islet (2020). Growing up with an exorcist father, Chong was exposed to many exorcism and witchcraft events. The Story of Southern Islet explores Malaysian folklore and witchcraft, elements that continue in Snow in Midsummer, where Chong also plays an exorcist. Combining his deep feelings for the land and his history examination, Chong crafted Snow in Midsummer as a poignant letter reflecting on the past and advising the future. It reminds the elderly in Malaysia to reassess their history. It urges the younger generation not to overlook the sufferings of their forebears, thus building a better future for the next generation.

As mentioned earlier, although the director approaches that cruel period with a gentle and calm perspective in SNOW IN MIDSUMMER, this movie underwent a difficult censorship process, passing through four rounds of review over six months, as Malaysia has a relatively strict censorship system. During this period, some content was revised, and certain sounds were removed. It finally received the screening permit on May 27, 2024, and premiered in Malaysia on July 18. This stringent cultural censorship affected the film even in its early stages of production. Many Malaysian actors declined to participate out of concern, forcing the director to condense the story from fourteen characters to one and use a Taiwanese actress as the lead. The film's release in Malaysia is considered a miracle by the director.