Singapore Malay film Salam Gembira tackles issue of diversity, LGBTQ+ themes

SINGAPORE –  With its LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) themes, Salam Gembira (Happy Greetings), a Malay feature film set in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, may have raised a few eyebrows since its theatrical release in Singapore on July 4.

But the home-grown film-makers behind the Singapore comedy-drama – director and co-writer Dzul Sungit, co-producer and co-writer Remi M. Sali and co-producer Ho Pak Kin – say it celebrates acceptance and inclusivity.

Remi tells The Straits Times that they were careful to portray its characters with sensitivity and respect.

“We want to normalise having an open yet respectful dialogue about difficult matters,” says the 49-year-old.

Salam Gembira, which passed uncut with an R21 rating due to “mature theme and some homosexual content”, is showing exclusively at Filmgarde Cineplex – Kallang and ends its run on July 17.

The 111-minute film premiered at The Projector on June 30, on the final day of Pride Month, which is celebrated in June. The film-makers say they could not release the movie earlier, as they had to wait for the censors to clear it for release.

They also wanted to avoid releasing it close to Hari Raya Haji, which fell on June 17.

The home-grown cast includes actors who appear regularly on Mediacorp Suria and in theatre productions, such as Rafaat Haji Hamzah, who won Best Supporting Actor (Drama Series) at Suria’s Pesta Perdana 2023; Rizal Aiman, who was nominated in the same category; and veteran actress Rozita Abu, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Drama Special/Anthology) in the same awards show.

The self-financed independent film revolves around the protagonist Moe (Rizal), a Malay-Muslim Singaporean living in Rotterdam, whose parents (Rafaat and Rozita) and their friends from Singapore make a surprise visit.

Moe does not want his parents to know that he is co-habiting with his Dutch girlfriend (Angelica Reitsma), so he gets her to switch places with her brother (Mitchell van Kleef), who is gay. Moe’s parents then suspect that their son is gay.

Salam Gembira features several gay characters, including Malay-Muslim ones, and a Pride March.

While most of the dialogue is in Malay, the characters also speak in English, Dutch and Mandarin.

The film’s trailer on The Projector’s Facebook page, posted on June 25, has attracted more than 250 comments, including ones that say the film goes against Islamic values and promotes an LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Homosexuality is not permissible in Islam.

Dzul, who is based in Rotterdam, says the film-makers took great care to ensure that the script “appeased all sides”.

The 49-year-old adds :“It’s not an easy thing to do. With every dialogue, every scene, we were asking ourselves, would anybody be offended by it?

“Are we writing it in a way that makes fun of one group or the other? That’s not the intention at all, we really wanted everybody to be able to coexist in the film.”

The film-makers say they consulted an ustaz, an Islamic religious teacher, to ensure accuracy in depicting Islamic practices and beliefs on-screen.

Says Remi: “We took utmost care because we see the beauty in religion and we see beauty in Islam.”

The film features a diverse group of Muslims, including a Singaporean-Chinese character who embraces Islam (played by veteran actor Vincent Tee). It also features scenes of Muslim characters engaging in practices such as praying and fasting.

The film-makers are hoping that more people beyond Singapore will get a chance to watch it. Says Ho, 56: “Hopefully, it goes on to the film festival circuit and, of course, the final destination is always a streaming service.”