Pendatang is a 2023 Malaysian dystopian drama thriller film directed by Ng Ken Kin and written by Lim Boon Siang. Produced by Kuman Pictures in association with Tapir Films, Pendatang follows a Cantonese–speaking Chinese family forced to relocate to a rural kampong home, shortly after Malaysia[a] implemented the fictional Segregation Act, where racial segregation between the ethnic groups of the country became strictly enforced.[1][2][3][4]
| Pendatang | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ng Ken Kin |
| Screenplay by | Lim Boon Siang |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Teck Zee Tan |
| Edited by | Yap Mun Ee Chloe |
| Music by | Wey Yinn Teo |
Production company | Kuman Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Languages | Cantonese, Malay, Tamil |
Pendatang is a fully crowdfunded movie.[5] Ng Ken Kin, the director, stated that he did not feel the movie would have been approved for local cinematic release by the Film Censorship Board.[5][6] Hence, the film is available on YouTube for free.[7] The film does not make any advertising revenue and is non-profit driven.[7] The film premiered on YouTube on December 21, 2023.[8]
Development
Pendatang is a fully crowdfunded movie.[5] In 2022, Kuman Pictures raised a total of RM335,981 through the crowdfunding campaign on the platform, Indiegogo.[9] The production team chose to be fully crowd funded to ensure the film would be faithful to the script without limitations that traditional government and commercially-led productions and funding options may have imposed.[5][7]
Release
Pendatang premiered for free on YouTube on the 21st of December 2023.[5]
Critical reception
The film received generally positive reviews from The Rakyat Post[10] and the South China Morning Post.[8]
