Malaysian-Chinese filmmakers find success in China – On Your Mark is the latest hit – thanks to their movies’ universal themes and visual storytelling
- On Your Mark, directed by Chiu Keng Guan, topped the Chinese box office on its opening day. He is the latest Malaysian-Chinese filmmaker to have a hit in China
- Their success may be down to telling stories ‘universal enough to be set anywhere’, says a film professor, and contrasts with the struggles of Malaysian actors
Film director Chiu Keng Guan, born in Johor state in Malaysia, is well-known in his home country for blockbuster films that touch on themes of friendship, family and patriotism.
His first box office hit came in 2014 – The Journey, the story of a Malaysian-Chinese father who lets his daughter marry an Englishman if the latter accompanies him on a cross-country journey to deliver the wedding invitations. The Journey grossed 16.87 million ringgit (just under US$4 million), becoming the 10th highest-grossing Malaysian film of all time.
On Your Mark, Chiu’s latest and his directorial debut in China, is an uplifting tale of a father who helps his son, who has multiple sclerosis, prepare to run a marathon. The film topped the Chinese box office on its opening day on June 18, and has earned the equivalent of US$12.1 million at the box office since then.
The film was produced by, among others, Jiangsu Maoyan Culture Media, Jiangsu Hao Di Cultural Development, the Sports Culture Development Centre of the General Administration of Sports (China Sports Museum) and Astro Shaw. The latter is the sole Malaysian producer, and will soon distribute the film throughout Southeast Asia.