Michael Gubbins, Yuhang, Alexis and Pipilotti at IFFR 2010
15 Feb 2010 Enjoying the absurdity of the ride For his latest blog entry, Ho Yuhang talks to journalist Michael Gubbins about his participation in Cinema Reloaded.

“I would like to involve the audience in the fun of my film – to let them be part of something absurd.” The absurdity is partly in Yuhang Ho’s satirical plot for his Cinema Reloaded project, in which six Indonesians declare war on Malaysia. But it is also in the process of film-making itself, when ambitious ideas come up against the realities of production.

“Pedro Costa says we are all naked now and that’s a good thing,” he says. So audience interaction is not a compromise but something more of the nature of a friendship, being able to share ideas and experiences. “I could be in some strange place and put something up on the website or a point of view politically connected with the work. With my film I might get threats and I should show that but it’s also important to see that it is fun.” That sense of a shared adventure is a key one for Cinema Reloaded and it has caught the imagination of Ho. “It’s really exciting. We don’t know what shape this animal is going to be. Even if this film isn’t made, the process of what’s coming along will be potentially very entertaining.” He sees his co-producers as having a collaborative role. While the final film will necessarily be realised by him as director, he sees scope for input from his collaborators – an ability to tap into their knowledge. “I want them to have a sense of empowerment. That might be in ideas or practical support where the project needs help. I don’t worry about dealing with audience. I don’t think I am dealing with a bunch of people who think they have power over you – we always underestimate the intelligence of the audience.” In some ways, he can see in crowd-funding a less compromised film-making process. “Finding funding for independent film is harder to find these days because private funders these days are looking for something more genre based in Asia. Most of the horror films make money, so they would rather you make horror films.” Ho has avoided the pressures that come with government money. “In Malaysia there is quite a lot of government money in the form of loans but you have to conform to the political agenda – they expect you to be politically correct if they are paying.”

How much better then to be embarking on a journey with friends and enjoying the absurdity of the ride.
The Accident (08 Jul 2010)
The tiger in me (16 Mar 2010)
Enjoying the absurdity of the ride (15 Feb 2010)
The curtain and the tub (06 Jan 2010)
What my film is about (17 Nov 2009)