When I was 15, I witnessed an incident in school, where a teacher punished a boy into wearing a skirt at the assembly hall for the crowd to laugh at. The act was immediately stopped by another teacher and eventually caused frictions between both educators. Nonetheless, the memory stayed with me because it says a lot about the constructs which makes the education system, the culture of aggression and toxic masculinity.

Flash forward 2017, Malaysia witnessed the death of 2 young men due to bullying. Although different in circumstances, both incidents appears to stem from similar constructs.

With that "Xiao Sheng", is a short film that depicts and exposes the culture of aggression among youths as a response to the incidents.

Photo: The Star

Synopsis

A teenage boy who was punished into wearing a skirt in school visits his older brother to plot revenge against the teacher.

Little did he know, the family's long history of abuse, violence and toxic masculinity will soon ignite a consuming fire that seeks to destroy everything in it's path.

Details

The short film depicts the disturbing act and the roots in various beginnings including parental behaviour and characteristics, maltreatment and exposure.

Bullying among teens are at an alarming rate of 1 child every 25 minutes in Malaysia, which often leaves devastating impact on their lives, where for some, even up to their adulthood.

"Xiao Sheng" is a creative take on the topic, offering a window for viewers to have a glimpse of what goes on in one act of bullying.

Photo: NST
Team and Brief Bio

Director and Writer: Andy Darrel Gomes

Andy Darrel Gomes is a director, writer, actor and educator in theatre and films. He is a graduate in English Linguistics and Performing Arts from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Some of his film works had travelled to festivals in Japan, The United States and Europe. "Xiao Sheng" is an extension of "Project Spect-Actor", which is a Theatre of the Oppressed initiative Andy started for youths in Malaysia focusing on youth issues.

Producer: Chin Mui Yoon

Mui Yoon on is a former award winning journalist with The Star for over 15 years. She is the first Malaysian journalist to win an award at the Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize by the European Union in 2009. She has also been honoured at the Society of Publishers Asia (SOPA) Excellence in Journalism Awards 2013 and the World Association of Newspapers-IFRA Asian Media Awards 2013.

Assistant Producer: Victor Chen

Victor is a talented young filmmaker whose debut short film "My Ba’s Radio" won the Panasonic Malaysia Digital Short Film Competition 2016 and was an official selection at the Asian World Short Film Festival Los Angeles 2017 and Short Short Films Festival of Asia in Tokyo 2017. He is currently affiliated with 42nd Pictures, working closely with filmmakers Yasu and Bea Tanaka.

Director of Photography: Ian Lin

Ian is a graduate of the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles where he has worked on over 200 sets. Ian’s short films "When Purple Mountain Burns" and "Exodus of the Rohingyas" were both shortlisted for a total of nine awards at the Film Outside the Frame Festival in Los Angeles and won three awards.