Looks like Amir Muhammad is on a roll now. The Appeals Commmittee of the Malaysian Censorship Board has made its final decision and upholds the ban on Amir's new documentary, Village People Radio Show (Apa Khabar Orang Kampung?). This is the second film of his to be banned locally. Last year, The Last Communist was banned by the Home Ministry after it was initially approved for screening by the Censorship Board.
Village People Radio Show had its world premiere in Berlin recently, in the Forum category. The film is a sequel to The Last Communist, and presents the stories of Malay former communists exiled in southern Thailand. It is on its way to nine other film festivals around the world. Last month, Amir returned from Berlin to the news that Village People Radio Show had been banned by the Censorship Board. He made an appeal, but now that appeal has been unsuccessful.
He is currently working on his next film, Do You Remember The 20th Day Of September?, a documentary about the day former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was charged with corruption and sodomy. It's likely to be another controversial film that will raise the eyebrows of the authorities.
