Our story is about an old man with a walking disability who lives his mundane old life with his caring wife, in Kampung Gua, Pahang. Their relationship has reached a point of saturation where there are no longer sparks and affection. Despite his disability, Atuk has a habit of always refusing and avoiding asking for help, until when he got stuck in his own man-made pond when the boat has drifted to the other side. That goes back to our logline, "An old man who is stuck in the middle of his man-made pond and is too proud to ask for help.

"It all started with an event that happened in my family where my father caught a sudden stroke and ran himself to the hospital alone in the middle of the night without wanting to wake any of our family members up. The only time we found out was when my mother woke up early that morning and noticed that dad wasn’t home and she received a text message from him. Throughout my observation in life, I discovered that when we grow old, we tend to hide our downfall from our loved ones just to prevent them from worrying about us. This behaviour is nothing new as I see it in my own grandfather too, and that sparks me to make Atuk.

Atuk is inspired by actual events. It is based on a real-life person which is Atuk himself aka my own grandfather. Atuk, to our family, is such a role model and someone we highly look up to. He is the strongest person I have ever known in my entire life. However, he has a habit of hiding his weakness from everyone else in the family. He fell down thousands of times and got back up and continued walking. As a father figure, he taught his children many useful things in life from as simple as tying knots to building a house. I wanted to make this film as an appreciation not just for Atuk, but to all grandparents in the world whom we as their children or grandchildren always take for granted and not understanding them to the fullest. The discovery of the human ego and obsession are the main core of this film.

I wanted to learn more about the human condition in order to understand myself and other people around me. Humans are so simple yet complex. Dissecting the human condition requires a lot of observation and empathy in order to understand the complexity.

Atuk is a film that talks about life. It touches on the naturality of Atuk in his routine. His banality. Seeing as a third-person view of Atuk’s routine is not enough to portray him but taking ample time and good observation and method research will be good to empathize with the characters well in the story. As a director, I am bringing my whole team to discover the other side of the world where the world we perceive is not the world that we live in. I hope by making Atuk will bring realization not just to us filmmakers, but also to the people who are sensitive to the world that we live in." - Husna Aziz, 2020

Our casts are based on real characters, Husna's Atuk and Nenek. They both are non-professional actors but Atuk did have a little background in theatre performance for a short time back in his 20s. They are very inspiring and a lovely couple.

Filmmaking is not as simple as how we can imagine, and being a student, we are dealing with so many expectations and hope that can break our piggy bank. We can hope and do so much but a student's savings is still a student's savings. So, here is why we need your help:

Every cent in hand will be spent on:

1. Gears and equipment under camera and lighting, and post-pro: This is where things get real. Most of us do not own film equipment that is expensive and costs more than our pocket money. As a student, we do not always get to have what we want and one of the best options is to collaborate and reach out to the industry. But of course, it is not free.

2. The art and look of the film: Audiences would love to enjoy a story that has beautiful visuals and pleasing scenery. All of that is possible due to the touch of the Production Designer together with the Cinematographer and of course, the Director. They will need to bring in props, wardrobe, and makeup for the cast according to the scenes. 

3. Proper meals for the casts and crews on set: Healthy production comes from happy crews on set. Why? They need proper food and drinks for them to work effectively and enjoy filmmaking. Lifting heavy equipment and handling tons of workloads here and there will cost them energy and time. Even brains get tired when working for more than half a day. After all, we are not only hustling for the final product but aiming to achieve experiential moments together with the crews and casts.
 

4. Travelling to Pahang: This production will be in Kuala Lipis, Pahang and it costs a big amount of money for fuels and tolls on the road due to some of us are from JB and KL. Traveling meals are also important and it is needed especially for those who will be driving a long distance. Of course, the whole production team's safety is also to be concerned here. Not to mention if we are going to rent a van for our film equipment and also paying the driver.

5. Our utmost gratitude for the big help: Having all crews and casts to make this production happen is very exciting and a memorable experience! As for the return, we would love to give an appreciation gift especially to the old lovely couple for their time and effort for their willingness to act in our film. And if we do achieve our goal from this crowdfunding, it will also be gifted to the whole team for their great contributions. A single ringgit will mean a lot to all of us!

Hey look, it is getting near to the shooting date! Show us your love and support for Atuk! #atukkita

Oh, here we are! Meet the people behind Atuk: (from top left to right) Husna Aziz the Director, Salina Saleh the Producer, Zulaikha Zulhaimi the Writer. (from bottom left to right) Mike Hoo the Cinematographer, Lyla Ung the Production Designer, and Zaharin Zabir the Editor.

"It's OUR Atuk." -- Zaharin Zabir, 2020

-- Pssssst, want to know more about this project? Spend some time and scan the QR Code below to watch Anak Ulek's Trip to Pahang vlogs! Or check out on our Instagram @ulekwayang for more updates! New Vlogs are coming!

Stay tuned!

--S O C I A L M E D I A--

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulekwayang/
Website: https://ulekwayang.exposure.co/
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DVOYSUZevI&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=UlekWayangPictures
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UlekWayang
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ulek.wayang.7/

This Final Year Project means a lot to us as it tells the story of this wonderful old man that is close to our dear heart, Atuk. We met him for the first time and our life has changed so much. With the current lockdown that is happening, it affects most of us especially the team that is trying to hold strong together to survive this pandemic and at the same time, make this film happen. It is also hard to reach out physically to people of the industry as to how we did before and have our voice to be heard. Hence, we are reaching out to you for an extra helping hand.

The whole idea of filmmaking is about appreciating the time we spend together not just as filmmakers but as a group of friends that slowly grow and learn together. Atuk the main character owns a man-made pond in which nowadays it is hard to find someone who builds his own pond and preserves it until today. It is so ravishing and we would hope to share it with the world. Atuk is a reminder to all generations that one day humans will grow old and will experience it someday in their own ways eventually. Atuk also teaches that no matter what situation we are in especially during hard times, help is always there to assist us in life. Keeping things to ourselves and denying the world as well as people around us will automatically deny the reality that we live in. Letting our walls down will path our way to a better and healthier relationship with the people that matter, and most importantly, the relationship with oneself.

Support us! #atukkita

From your friendly kampung neighborhood,

Ulek Wayang Pictures