'La Luna' Slammed In M'sia For Insulting Islam But Lauded As A 'Daring Sex Comedy' Abroad
A local ustazah criticised the film, accusing it of promoting soft porn.
2023 was an amazing year for Malaysian cinema, marked by the release of acclaimed films such as Polis Evo 3, Tiger Stripes, and Abang Adik, among others
Screenshots from the movies 'Polis Evo 3', 'Tiger Stripes', and 'Abang Adik'.
Image via Eastern Kicks
However, amidst these successes, controversies surrounding certain local films also surfaced.
As the controversy surrounding Mentega Terbang fades, a new one emerges, this time involving the film, La Luna.
Over the past few weeks, La Luna faced heavy criticism from local writers and religious leaders for its alleged insult to Islam and promotion of soft pornography.
The one-hour-48-minute film premiered at local cinemas on 7 November last year. However, criticism against the film only surfaced this month after it was listed on the streaming platform Netflix and made it to the top 10 most-watched chart.
Directed by Singaporean director M Raihan Halim, the film boasts a cast of predominantly Malaysian actors. It stars Shaheizy Sam, who played the protagonist in Polis Evo 3, and Sharifah Amani, best known for her role as the female lead in Yasmin Ahmad's Sepet. Syumaila Salihin, who played the protagonist in Mentega Terbang, portrays as a rebellious daughter in this film.
The film was produced by several film production companies from Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong — specifically, Louis Koo's One Cool Film.
Image via IMDB
While the casting, production, and director may have already hinted at potential trouble based on their filmography, it is La Luna's storyline that ultimately solidified the film's controversy
The story follows Sharifah's character, Hanie, who moves back to her ancestral home in Kampung Bras Basah and opens up a lingerie shop, drawing disapproval from the conservative village leader, Tok Hassan.
The situation escalates into a battle of wits as Tok Hassan exerts all efforts to remove Hanie from the village, but she remains resolute and garners support from some villagers, forming alliances to defend her position in the village.
Amidst all that, a spark ignites between Hanie and Shaheizy's character, Salihin, capturing the villagers' interest.
The film tells a classic tale of liberalism clashing with conservatism in a rom-com format. One can watch the film as it is — a wholesome 'sex comedy' — but one can also interpret its subtext and argue that it promotes soft porn and insults Islam.
After La Luna premiered in two international film festivals, reviews overseas celebrated the film for being "daring" and "sweet", describing it as a "fairly inoffensive" comedy.
Many local reviews published last year also lauded the film for being an entertaining "audience-friendly confection". However, recent reviews following its listing on Netflix have been less favourable.
Shaheizy Sam (right) portrays Salihin, while Sharifah Amani portrays Hanie in 'La Luna'.
Image via Berita Harian
Preacher ustazah Asma' Harun slammed La Luna for its allegedly demeaning religious figures and for perpetuating a negative perception of Islam
In a Facebook post last Tuesday, 20 February, Asma' criticised the film for using a lingerie shop as its main premise and for featuring characters undergo transformation under the guise of freedom of expression.
"[The film has] a scene depicting a teenage boy being arrested for drawing pornographic artwork, justifying it as 'art'.
"The village leader, Tok Hassan, is portrayed as a religious figure, but he is negatively depicted with traits such as closed-mindedness, rudeness, corruption, and jealousy.
"A married couple, Enah and Ayub, is portrayed engaging in sexual relations, with scenes even showing their children witnessing such acts. Why are such scenes highlighted? This film can be watched by all age groups. What if children watch it?
"Scenes showing villagers — both men and women — coming together to rebuild Hanie's lingerie shop after it was burned down, subtly imply the triumph of liberal ideologies over religious values.
"There are many more scenes that are lewd and insulting to Islam. It's far from Malay Islamic norms in both text and subtext portrayed in the film," she argued.
The Ustazah raised concerns about the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy for approving the film.
She also called on both FINAS and the Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) to establish clear guidelines to prevent shows and films like La Luna from premiering in Malaysia.
Author and screenwriter Zabidi Mohamed also criticised the film for similar reasons, adding that there is an increasing number of films that pit liberal protagonists against conservative antagonists
"Liberal factions in the local film industry will portray protagonists representing liberal thinking with characteristics such as progressiveness, forward-thinking, free thought, compassion, and having a liberal mindset.
"Meanwhile, antagonistic characters are portrayed as conservative, old-school, and narrow-minded. That is their storytelling pattern.
"However, liberal thinking is subtly injected into the subtext. Those who watch without evaluating and measuring from an Islamic perspective will not notice it," he explained.
At the time of writing, the Communications and Digital Ministry has yet to respond to the critics
However, actor Hisyam Hamid, who plays Pa'at in La Luna, said members of the public are free to express their own views on the film.
"I'm of the opinion that films are a work of art that provides diverse perspectives to different viewers. Everyone who watches can interpret it in their own unique way and form their own opinions," mStar quoted him as saying.
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