Tukang Perahu Pulau Duyong (The Boatbuilders of Mermaid Island) dir. Azharr Rudin

World Premiered at Southeast Asian Film Festival, Singapore Art Museum, 31/3/13 3pm.
*recent screening- Malaysia & Taiwan Film Festival, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre 8/7/16 7pm
*Next Screening- Malaysia Day/Web Premiere, September 2017
Tukang Perahu Pulau Duyong (The Boatbuilders of Mermaid Island / 79 Minutes / Pulau Duyong, Terengganu / 2013)
On Mermaid Island, Terengganu, Malaysia, several lives converge for their love and passion of the Malay traditional boatbuilding craft. A translator from France, a local historian, a former client from Germany, potential heirs of the craft and their skillful masters. This documentary takes us on a soulful journey through an oral history of a small community behind the traditions of boatbuilding.
Best Documentary, Malaysian Digital Film Awards 2013
bit.ly/TPPDexcerpt
bit.ly/TPPDphotos
bit.ly/TPPDimdb
It's heartwarming to be reminded that Malaysians are sincere, humble, caring and loving. This should be in the cinemas and shared with the masses. I see myself and the people I'm close to in this film - I love it. - Wong Tay Sy
written by Sam I-Shan for Southeast Asian Film Festival 2013 catalogue:
The Boatbuilders of Mermaid Island takes as its subject seafaring vessels, which have the potential to traverse oceans. The craft of boatbuilding is also one that has developed and been transmitted over tens of decades. However, the filmmakers have chosen to remain on the island and focus on a small number of its inhabitants who have made boats central to their lives. By doing this, they allow the power of the spoken word to be revealed.