The Malaysian Film Censorship Board has approved one of the country’s first explicitly gay films — but has insisted on an unusual catch in order for it to get to theaters.
Dalam Botol (In A Bottle) is one of the first Malay-language films to overtly tackle the issue of homosexuality. As the extremely conservative Muslim-majority country very rarely lets films dealing with sexuality, religion, or politics past the censors, some were surprised to hear that the film that is already being called “Malaysia’s Brokeback Mountain” would hit theater screens. However, in order to get to the public, the film — which contains absolutely no nudity, sex, or even kissing — had one hoop that other Malaysian films do not have to jump through: censors insisted that the gay characters must either repent or come to a bad end during the course of the film.
The movie has been described by producer Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman as a “tragic love story” between two men, one of whom undergoes a sex change operation in order to allow them to have a public relationship. The story is based off the real-life experience of a man the producer knew; however, she denies that there is any political or anti-religious sentiment to the film. “I’m just trying to tell a story about a friend,” she told the New York Times. “It’s all about love.”
While Dalam Botol won’t be released in Malay-language markets until February, critics are expecting it to do brisk business at the box office — over 40 theatres have already signed on to show the film when released, and worldwide coverage of the film’s news suggests that an international release may be in the works.
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