Cultural Appreciation

Tunku Mona Riza and Susan Lankester describe how Rain Town is truly a Malaysian film

- Aaron Pereira

We caught up with director Tunku Mona Riza Tunku Khalid and renowned actress Susan Lankester in anticipation of their upcoming film Rain Town, which will premiere in local theatres on February 8, 2024, just in time for the Lunar New Year. They shared what it was like working on set with other local talent such as Chew Kin Wah, Fabian Loo, Wilson Lee and Pauline Tan, among others.

Rain Town tells the story of Mr Choo, a father of three grown children Isaac, Alex, and Ruby. The film explores the interference of controlling parents in their adult children's lives, compelling them to abandon their dreams and happiness. Then, the family's already strained relationship is further tested after Choo's wife, Aileen (played by Lankester), meets with an accident.

Tunku Mona, who made her mark in the world of cinematography with her 2016 film Redha, earning her the Best New Director award at the 29th Malaysian Film Festival, was initially drawn to the idea of rain betting where, back then, individuals would guess when the first drop of rain would fall. "I thought it was an interesting concept, but because I got a grant from Finas to do the film, I obviously couldn't emphasise betting within a Muslim community, so I concentrated more on a Chinese character, Mr. Choo, and his family. Together with my writers Azril Hamzah and Zac Omar, we developed a rather lovely story," she explained.

Rain Town marks Tunku Mona's debut with a Cantonese-language film. Despite her non-profiency in the language, the New York Film Academy alumna successfully navigated the challenges of filming in Taiping, Perak, by relying on an interpreter throughout the process.