– In many cultures in Asia, getting your period is taboo. There is a lot of superstition associated with it, and you don’t even say period – just “the thing”. This is how the desire to make a film related to puberty and menstruation started, Malaysian filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu explains to news. “Tiger Stripes” tells the story of 12-year-old Zaffan, who is the first in his group of friends to hit puberty. The changes she experiences, physically and mentally, frighten her. – I felt like a monster when it happened to me, says Eu. Zaffan turns into a monster when she reaches puberty in the bodily horror film “Tiger Stripes”. Photo: Ghost Grrrl Pictures And although the changes in puberty are something all young girls can identify with – Eu takes the story one step further: Zaffan turns into an actual monster, with skin changes, glowing eyes and nails that grow and fall off. – It started with a joke, the supernatural. I like horror, because there is also some comedy in it – I think it is natural to mix those genres. You feel the humor, but it’s also dark. The film has received much recognition internationally. During the Cannes festival this spring, the film won the prestigious critics’ prize. It has also been launched as Malaysia’s Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. But in his home country, a different film is shown in cinemas than the one Amanda Nell Eu made. She explains: In order for a film to go to cinemas in Malaysia, it must go through a censorship board, which goes through a number of criteria for the film to be approved. – They recommended some cuts, and I wasn’t too happy with that. It was painful. When “Tiger Stripes” was released in cinemas in her home country, Eu felt she had to explain to the audience that this was not the film she had made. She therefore published a statement on her Instagram profile where she writes about the censorship. Amanda Nell Eu wanted to explain to her followers that her film was not what she wanted after the censorship in cinemas in her home country. Photo: screenshot Instagram – I don’t feel any ownership of that version, she says to news. In the cuts, scenes that explain important things about the main character are removed, according to Eu. – If you don’t see everything, then we no longer know what she is fighting for. She says it’s a shame that people in her home country don’t get to see the original version. Filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu visited Oslo during the Film fra Sør film festival this week. Photo: Terje Haugnes / news – I wanted Malaysians to see the film as it was and see why it is being celebrated, it was primarily a film for them. So it’s bittersweet. Eu tells news that she hopes the film can help start a conversation about the censorship that is commonplace in Malaysia and several other countries. – It is limiting for artists. Indonesia: Half believe that women must drop out of school during, while According to Plan International Norway, which works for the rights of young girls worldwide, menstruation is problematic in many countries. In Indonesia, which is not far from the EU’s home country of Malaysia, more than half believe that women cannot go to work or school when they are menstruating. This is revealed by a survey carried out by Plan International. Taboos around menstruation are a common reason why girls miss school, and in the worst case, drop out, according to Plan. And although the situation for Norwegian girls is considerably better, many believe that teaching in Norwegian schools pays too little attention to emotions, queer sexuality and sexual debut, shows a report from Sex og samfunn.
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– I felt like a monster – news Culture and entertainment
