To be part of a diaspora is to live between worlds, carrying the weight of where you come from while navigating the terrain of where you are. Malaysian Tamil Tides seeks to explore the collective experience of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia by focusing on the most intimate and personal stories. From a village boy’s journey to the city, to the eerie unraveling of a possessed girlfriend, a group of drink buddies objectifying a gangster’s wife, a neurodivergent girl navigating her apartment’s confines, a curious bunch of Mamak boys investigating who punched their friend, and memories of a father’s love for cinema— each narrative illuminates the life that the Malaysian Indian diaspora has created in the spaces between belonging and longing.
Curated by Gogularaajan Rajendran and Lena Srinivasan
No worry chicken curry
Shunmgam karuppannan
A village boy is sent to town by his mother to deliver a freshly caught chicken to his uncle. This short film intimately follows his journey as he struggles to navigate the modern landscape with the live chicken in tow.
13:17
Sashitharan Rajoo
In this single-take short film, Sujay shows off his new video camera to his friend Wicky, who lives with his girlfriend Rina. As their conversation about relationships unfolds in the apartment, the atmosphere turns increasingly eerie and unsettling.
Agaligai Padalam
Shobaan
A modern reinterpretation of the Ramayana subchapter, Agaligai Padalam, exploring the grotesque dimensions of Indian masculinity in Malaysia, merging mythology with contemporary social issues.
HAIKU: A Neurodivergent Harmony
Deena Dakshini & Lena Srinivasan
Deena, a neurodivergent artist struggles with familial estrangement and societal expectations, her journey becomes a balance of creativity, doubt, and self-discovery. She faces the chaos of artistic liberation while striving to find acceptance in her identity.
Community Bond
Mohammed Shafie
A group of curious Indian Muslim boys gather in front of the camera, gossiping and attempting to unravel the mystery behind a fight that recently shook their circle.
My Father & his Celluloid
Daven Raghavan
As his father lies critically ill in hospital, the director recreates the possible scenario when his parents meet for the first time. A tribute to the filmmaker’s father, a traveling projectionist, through the films, sights and sounds of his work and times.