Flower in the pocket

Yesterday Last week, I saw the movie "Flower in the Pocket" - one that I have been curious about this year as it was playing at the Rotterdam film festival in January and won a big award there.

By accident I discovered that it was on television late last Saturday night.
It's a very nice movie but what struck me most was the similarity in story (partly) and atmosphere to the movie Nobody Knows/ Dare mo shiranai.

'Nobody Knows' is about four siblings living in Japan, whose mother has left them to fend for themselves. Absolutely beautiful film, but very sad also. 'Flower in the pocket' is much less sad luckily, but is about two brothers, who basically also have to look after themselves. The stories have very different plots and endings, but interesting to see the similarities.

What was also good about it is that it gave a good idea of the complex society in Malaysia. The boys are Chinese Malaysian, and speak Chinese with their dad and between them both. Only the older boy speaks Malay and can communicate with some of the other kids, and people in the movie. Then a doctor who appears seems to speak only English, but can understand the father speaking back in Chinese. Malaysia has a very mixed, and complicated, society which I've also written about when I was there earlier this year and it's very apparent in this film.

Definitely a recommended film.