Sepet, Mukhsin, and Talentime: Yasmin Ahmad's Melodrama of the Melancholic Boy-in-Love

This essay examines three critically-acclaimed Malaysian films directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad: Sepet (Slit Eyes, 2004), Mukhsin (2007) and Talentime (2009),1 all of which have propelled her to the forefront of contemporary Malaysian cinema. Apart from earning praise and accolade at international film festivals, ranging from Tokyo to Berlin,2 retrospectives of her work have also been held in Tokyo, Thessaloniki, Taipei, and Hawaii. Yasmin's films have been known for reflecting the wide ethnic and cultural diversity of the country. Indeed, her films often address potentially explosive subject matter by contesting accepted norms and practices within the volatile multiculturalism of Malaysia.