Page 119 - The Guide To Sarawak

THE GUIDE TO SARAWAK
117
The Chief Minister’s Drama Festival was conceived by the former Chief Minister as an annual festival involving all four Teacher Training Colleges in Sarawak, and started in 2000. It aims to instil positive values and dramatic skills among the young generation, especially teacher trainees who in turn will channel these values and skills to students when they embark on their teaching careers. Confidence in expressing oneself is one of the key attributes required for dramatic performance, and thus the former Chief Minister, now Governor is also patron of the Annual Debate Competition hosted at the Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) auditorium in Kuching. In addition, several Toastmasters Clubs foster the art of public speaking throughout the state.
Film
While Sarawak has been the setting for a number
of films (see page 118) and TV dramas, the local film industry is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, a small group of local independent film makers are beginning to establish themselves in
the industry. Producer & Director Bjarne Wong has created two ghostly dramas in Sarawak, The Legend
of the Red Curse (2005), Sarawak’s first feature film) and Possessed (2006), starring Amber Chia), as well as the Kuala-Lumpur-
A scene from Make a Difference, the dramatic high point of the Sarawak Youth Assembly 2010. This innovative musical about the life and charitable works
of the late Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Hajah Laila Taib was performed by an amateur teenage cast and produced by Limkokwing University of Creative Technology’s Sarawak Campus.
set Sayang You Can Dance (2009).
Sarawak has already produced some major film talents. Architect-turned- actor Tony Eusoff is one of Malaysia’s most popular leading men, with 5 films, 8 TV dramas and 5 stage musicals to his credit.
On the other side of the camera, Kuching-born and
Taiwan-based director
Tsai Ming Liang has found worldwide fame in avant garde cinema, with a string of international awards. His Vive L’Amour (1994) won Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival, and respected UK newspaper The Guardian has named him one of the 40 Best Directors in the World.
Student debaters competing for the Chief Minister’s Trophy at the Sarawak Annual Debate Competition.