Sunday, July 26, 2009

Goodbye Yasmin

you mustn't be afraid of death
you're a deathless soul
you can't be kept in a dark grave
you're filled with God's glow

Rumi

My heart breaks today at hearing that Yasmin Ahmad passed away last night. I did not know her well personally but like many people reading this - I felt that I close to her through her films and writings.

She was a truly beautiful individual, a speaker of the common sense that needed to be spoken, and an award-winning filmmaker of immense talent. She portrayed with great warmth a multi-lingual, multi-racial Malaysia in her work and broke down barriers that hadn't ought to exist but sadly do.

(Here's one of her advertisements, made for the 50th Merdeka Day, showing her work in miniature. If kids can get it right, why can't we? :)



She talked of the need for Malaysians to tell their stories and perhaps that is the best way that we can honour her memory, especially if we can summon the same kind of courage, honesty and love. For although we did not have Yasmin with us for anywhere near long enough, there was so much that she taught us that we carry forward.

Al-Fatihah, Yasmin.

Postscript :

fooie on Yasmin the irreplaceable. Zedeck Siew on Yasmin the Storyteller. Adflin can't believe it.

14 comments:

lil ms d said...

she gave me hope sharon.

bibliobibuli said...

yes. and her legacy has to be that we hang on to that hope.

YTSL said...

So very sad. One of the first e-mails I read this morning was from an American friend living in Thailand -- and a fellow fan of Yasmin Ahmad's films -- who broke the news to me.

Malaysia is so much poorer without Yasmin Ahmad. Her films and their messages gave me so much hope and happiness. I thank her for what she managed to do before she passed away but I so wish she had been given a chance to do so much more before the fates decided that her time was up on this earth of ours. :(

Chet said...

Yasmin Ahmad is a true Malaysian treasure.

Each of us has at least one story to tell - she had so many! Well, maybe she had one personal one that was her own, but she helped so many others tell theirs.

In the early 90s, I used to hang out with a group of women and Yasmin would sometimes join us. I remember one dinner, she entertained us to an impromptu concert that added greatly to the meal.

She will be missed, but she will remain an inspiration.

ikanbilis said...

just like many others, i have been a great fan. its so heartbreaking to find out such tragedy happened and she is absolutely irreplaceable. she has touched so many hearts regardless of the criticism that occurs at the same time and now that she has gone the tv ads would not be exactly the same like how she sees it.


we love her and we pray for her to be with God safely.

al fatihah.

manglish said...

very sad indeed...i wasnt even this heartbroken when MJ passed on...may her soul rest in peace

Bergen said...

So long, Yasmin.

FoOie said...

Hi Sharon, thanks for linking to my blog, but would just like to mention that I'm not Julian Hopkins :P (he re-tweeted my link)..

Through her stories, it seems she often knew us better than we knew ourselves.. Her passing will be greatly mourned.

bibliobibuli said...

corrected, fooie. sorry for the confusion.

Anonymous said...

She makes me proud to be a Malaysian, unlike every one of our politicians. All of us Malaysians are - or were - friends until the politicians start stirring shit and using us to further their own agenda.

The "Tan Hong Ming" advert is delightful.

- Poppadumdum

Argus Lou said...

Thanks for this post, Sharon. Yes, it would be the best way to honour Yasmin's life and work - by carrying on her compassion and human understanding the best we can.

Greenbottle said...

innalillahhi wainnailaihirajioun...yasmin..a true malaysian...respected and loved by all irrespective of gender, race or religion...

may Allah bestows the blessings on your soul...R.i.P

gnute said...

I'm so proud that Malaysia ever had a Yasmin Ahmad.

Kissman said...

She's a treasure indeed.

Reminded me of another's Rumi; may she be surrounded by angels now.

I died as a mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was Man.
Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar
With angels blest