Simpati (2019)
★★ — Simpati (2019)
Simpati is a short film from Brunei Darussalam, a country with one of the smallest (and least documented) film industries in Southeast Asia, where local production remains genuinely rare. Writer-director Syafi Halim also takes a lead acting role, which is fairly typical of micro-budget filmmaking in markets where crew and cast pools are limited. The film runs just thirty minutes and was produced under the New Wave Films banner, a modest outfit working in a country better known for its oil wealth than its screen culture. Brunei's demographic mix of Malay, Chinese, and other communities provides the film's central tension, set against a society shaped by strict conservative values under the Brunei Sultanate.
A-Z World Movie Tour Brunei I'm the first person to ever review this from Letterbox'd. Well, this was… an experience . Sat down with a cuppa after the kids went to bed, thinking I’d tick off Brunei on my global film challenge. Fair play to the team behind Simpati, making a film in a country where the industry’s still finding its legs is no small feat. You can tell there’s heart here, even if it’s delivered via a shaky cam and a sound quality that sounds like it was recorded through a tin can. The sound quality really is one of the major issues and the lighting… I’ve seen better done by school productions but hey, at least they made something! Now, the story. It’s got a lot of good intentions (trying to tackle racism toward the Chinese community in Brunei) but I don't think it's particularly well handled. The messaging feels… clunky, and while I respect the effort, it left me feeling like I’d been lectured over dinner rather than told a story. Would I recommend it? If you’re a film student writing a thesis on emerging world cinema, sure. If you’re just after a cozy Friday night flick? Probably not. But here’s the thing: Brunei’s film scene is still in its infancy, and Simpati is a start. Maybe next time they’ll get the sound guy a proper mic and let the themes breathe a bit more. For now, I’ll raise my mug to the effort at least.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2019 | Watched: 2025-05-27
Related on Movies With Macca
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
