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What You Trust Can Hurt You.
Inspired by the real-life event of the 1996 nationwide blackout in Malaysia, 5:13 tells the story of two individuals in a desperate fight against paranoia, terror and eventually each other as they struggle to face growing, inexplicable threats from the outside whilst stripped of all information and resources.
Vivien (Samantha Tan) awakes on the night of her wedding anniversary to find that she is alone, her journalist husband Richard nowhere to be seen. All electricity and phone lines are dead, and her only sources of information are the sudden infrequent news reports beeping through an emergency radio frequency.
The broadcasts repeatedly refer to a worsening situation on the Thai-Malaysian border, where an unexpected incident has seemingly caused widespread chaos and destruction. All Vivien knows about Richard's whereabouts is that he is in a village near that region investigating a story about a bomoh (Malaysian shaman/witch doctor), and in her anxiety she cannot help but dread that there is some connection between the two.
As the night progresses, strange noises begin to surround the outside of her home, and worry turns to terror as something gradually tries to break in. Out of nowhere, her husband's best friend Ash (Iki Putra) comes to her aid, bearing a strange message from Richard on his phone. A message that is soon to be contradicted by one she receives herself.
As the night wears on, fear and paranoia begin to take hold. Not just despair at the events going on outside the house, but the emergence of old fears that have long underlined their lives and still cripple both her and Ash. As doubts and suspicions grow, deep cuts are reopened and old wounds are freshly bled.
Slowly but surely, both Vivien and Ash learn that what you trust can hurt you.
- Directed by Arivind Abraham
- Written by Keith Leong & Arivind Abraham
- Produced by Bahir Yeusuff
- Running Time 85 min
- Release Date 2010
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Country
Malaysia
- Content Rating Intended Audience: family
- Website 5:13
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Written by Keith Leong & Arivind Abraham
Produced by Bahir Yeusuff
Cast Samantha Tan: Vivien
Iki Putra: Ash
Priscilla Patrick: Herself
Chua Sue- Ann: Siti
Azwin Andy: Richard In Photograph
Lim Benji: Camera
Sebastian Ng: Sound
Ali Maggs: Editor
Kumar Chandra: Production Assistant
Jo Moser: Post Production Assistant
Jason Lim: Associate Producer
In 2007, after the release of his debut feature S'kali in Malaysia, writer/director Arivind Abraham was contacted by a documentary filmmaker in London named John Kotselis. Kotselis had amassed evidence of a cover-up by the Malaysian government about the real reason behind a major nationwide blackout in 1996, and together with writer Keith Leong Abraham crafted a fictional story based on Kotselis' findings.
Both a dramatic psychological thriller and a critical comment on the oppresive state of politics, race and religion in Malaysia, 5:13 is the film that the Malaysian authorities do not want Malaysians to see.
Malaysia, 1996. Vivien (Tan) awakens on the night of her wedding anniversary to find that not only is she in the middle of a blackout, but also a radio frequency is transmitting what seems to be an emergency broadcast. Her concerns for her absent journalist husband are far from quelled by strange noises coming from outside, coupled with the abrupt arrival of hubby’s best friend Ash (Putra) – who bears a strange message and seems to know more about the current situation than he’s at first letting on. As the night draws on, old wounds between the two are re-opened and the situation outside the house seems to be worsening… Abraham’s sophomore feature is a curious blend of politically-minded domestic drama and paranoid invasion flick. It’s not an overtly obvious coupling, but at times it works surprisingly well. Luke Yerbury’s gloomy, foreboding cinematography matches the strong sound design to suggest something deeply sinister outside Vivien’s four walls, and Abraham ratchets up the tension nobly using a single location. The film’s pace falters occasionally, as long dialogue-intense scenes punctuate the anxiety. It’s with these scenes that the surface of our characters are scratched away, revealing a relevant back-story that may have serious consequences on the film’s outcome. The two leads cope admirably enough, with special plaudits going to Tan’s conviction as the frightened and confused Vivien. Although in context it refers to a specific time, the film’s title also happens to reference May 13th – the date in 1969 on which the Sino Malay riots broke out in Kuala Lumper, launching a national state of emergency. Abraham and Jeong’s script insinuates something similar or - given the mention of a prophetic bohmoh’s involvement – something worse is underway outside the house. It’s a deft political nod that typifies the film’s melding of the real to the fantastic, and suggests that such further attempts at genre cross-pollination may reap greater rewards. Neth Knowles From: http://indieflicks.co.uk/?p=485
