Youthful Noir

Before directing Jarum Halus, a screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, Mark Tan’s previous film was based on a slightly less literary source. While at university in the UK, Tan and some friends got hold of a camera and made Nine, a horror flick inspired by the Japanese hit Ju-On. Though they made it for fun, it was a surprising hit among their peers.

Jarum Halus, however, has significantly more at stake. The Bard aside, Tan worked with established actors such as veteran Rahim Razali, Juliana Ibrahim and Razif Hashim on the film. For someone with virtually no history in the industry, getting such names on board was a coup. Instead of a script, he used on a 15-minute long video to sell his idea and concept for the film. “They believed in the vision,” he says. Not that the confidence of others made his age completely irrelevant. “I was a little worried because I’m young,” he said. “When I shot the film, I was only 21.”

Despite his youth, his familiarity with Othello wasn’t solely watching Julia Stiles in O. As a student, Tan was involved in a stage production of the play. He had also considered adapting Great Expectations, but decided the racial elements in Othello would work better in a Malaysian setting. Despite its dark and moody trailer, Tan has mainstream ambitions for Jarum Halus. “I was very careful to avoid alienating people,” Tan said. “I wanted to tackle complex issues in a way that is easy for people to digest and understand.” For more updates on the film, go to jarumhalus.blogspot.com.

Text Brian Yap 

Published in Issue #110