Susuk

I went along to the premier of the long-awaited Susuk yesterday, co-directed by Amir Muhamad and Naeim Ghalili and thoroughly recommend it to you all when it comes out on Aug 7th. The filming was actually done in 2006, but the post-production work delayed the film's release.

It's a very classy occult thriller,which looks at the lengths some women will go to become divas.

The title refers to the black magic practice of inserting gold needles and other precious objects under the skin as talismans, and the deeper, by far more dangerous version of the practice susuk keramat, which was initially used only by royalty.

I thought it very well cast - especially loved the two lead ladies Diana Rafar as Soraya and Ida Nerina as Suzana, and the wonderfully creepy Adlin Aman Ramlie as the magician. The cinematography was beautifully done - there was a real build up in the atmosphere of menace, and the soundtrack, by Hardesh Singh, excellent.

But the film launch was also a book launch for the two novelisations of the film, the Malay version by Nizam Zakaria, and the English version by Amir Hafizi, both published by Marshall Cavendish. It was great to see Nizam get his first novel launched at last but I was so sad that Amir H. didn't make it, I think because he was sick.

Both versions are (apparently) quite different, with Amir H. taking more liberties with the story, and Nizam's version following the film more closely. I wonder if this is the first novelisation of a local film?

Well done, anyway, to all concerned and I hope the film finds an audience not just locally, but overseas as well. Here's the trailer to whet your appetite :