FLOWER IN THE POCKET

Malaysia, 2007, 97 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Singh Tat Lieu

Flower in the Pocket is set amongst the Chinese Malay families – with some reference to the Muslim Malays in school and in neighbourhoods.

The film focuses on two little boys, misfits in school, who bond with each other, who manage at home – with their father working at a factory making mannequins for stores.

The film offers a series of detailed vignettes about their life, their interactions, being misunderstood at school, their friendship with a Muslim girl, their illness, their love for a dog, their father taking the dog away from them.

The two boys are full of vitality and bring an energy to this often very engaging story of children and their perspectives.

1. A Malaysia film, life in Malaysia, in the cities, the suburbs, the Chinese Malay, the Muslim Malays?

2. The focus on children, school, family, friendships?

3. The title – and the children and their poverty, not knowing how to manage?

4. Language and barriers, Mandarin, Malay, the teachers and their misunderstandings, translations?

5. The brothers and the introduction to each of them, the older, finding the money, caught by the teacher, his being punished? The younger brother and his drawing, the children explaining their drawings, the Muslim teacher not understanding the language, translations for the boy, misunderstanding the nature of his drawing? The bonds between the brothers, the father at work, at home, the toilet scene on the way home, finding the little child and taking him off, eating icypoles? Their room at home, making the food, finding the dog, the pet, the father taking it away, their crying in the night, getting a fever, the treatment? The friendship with the little girl, the fish, talking to her about the Mosque, sharing with her? The father and his visit to the school? Going to the hospital? A glimpse of the children and their life?

6. The teachers, their manner, stern?

7. The Muslim friend, her mother, sewing at home, the bicycle, the fish, sharing experiences and talking?

8. The boys’ father, the shops, the mannequins, in the truck, at the factory, his assistant, at home, going to the doctor and the doctor with his mistaken x-ray and the comedy of the lock, the food, the father buying the food, taking the dog to the garbage pile? His concern about their health?

9. His getting swimming instructions from his assistant at the factory? In the park teaching his children to swim?

10. A patchwork picture of life in suburban Malaysia, the life of children?