SENimation Satay Satay

SENimation

presents

"Satay Satay"

Director: Xue SEN Wong

Synopsis: It is school holidays and the children are out playing in the Malaysian kampung. The bad tempered boy Ah Sen is spending the day with his elderly Ah Gong who is cutting down coconuts to try and please his grandson. Ah Sen is sick of coconuts, however, and things take a turn for the worst when his nagging for satay leads Ah Gong to walk into an accident. Ah Sen’s world is turned upside down, forcing him to consider losing a loved one he never appreciated.

Statement from SEN:

Hi, I’m SEN!

I arrived in Australia almost 5 years ago, since then I’ve graduated with a Bachelor of Animation and continued my studies with the Honours program at the Griffith University Queensland College of Art (QCA). Being a Malaysian born Chinese boy, I have faced many challenges in my life as an “overseas traveler”. I’ve learned that determination and dedication pays off.

My graduate film Poles Apart (2007) told a great story of a panda caught in a world of polar bears. Poles Apart was a universal story that everyone could relate to. In the increasing phenomenon of a worldwide multiculturalism, the importance of tolerance and acceptance of other genders, races and cultures has become a central issue. Poles Apart raised important questions while providing an entertaining "slice of life" like storyline and an upbeat resolution of a very modern and recently growing issue. I learned many valuable lessons in film production while working on that piece, and even went to Beijing to showcase it. That was also my first time to China and I felt like the panda himself, finally going home.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved to tell stories. After the success of Poles Apart I realized what kind of stories I liked. I’ve come to think that stories should be fun. Fun to look at, fun to read, and fun to experience and not only that, they should also be of good quality and direction in order to connect with people emotionally.

I strongly believe that filmmaking is more than just entertaining audiences. A film is a message that should be understood by everyone no matter how young or old. It is for people to learn, to study and to become acquainted with truth and knowledge.

Now I am proud to present to you the art of my next film, Satay Satay! This is a more personal story for me as it is set in the countryside, or kampung, of my home country Malaysia. This story is actually based on my personal experience of childhood and is dedicated to my grandmother, a person I haven’t acknowledged as much as I should have. Satay Satay is a nostalgic look at childhood which portrays the greediness of human beings and their personal anxieties about love, family, expectations and the special gifts we are all given but do not always appreciate. My main aim in this film is to tell a good story using animation as a medium. What I love about animation is its power to make audiences care about the characters and become immersed in their world. It is my hope that you will enjoy the art in this book, become immersed in Ah Sen’s world and learn from his story.