Cover image via Blue Orchids (Provided to SAYS)
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A short film inspired by the lived experiences of Malaysians during the Japanese occupation of Malaya is currently competing at Tropfest 2026, one of the world's biggest short film festivals
The film is currently in the running for a Wildcard finalist spot, meaning its future depends on public support.
With voting determined by engagement on the Tropfest YouTube channel, Malaysians everywhere have a real chance to help push this story into the global spotlight. Voting ends on 14 February.
Set during the 1941 Japanese invasion of Malaya, the film centres on Mei Lan, a mother raising her six-year-old daughter, Sau Chun, while trying to shield her from the growing violence and fear around them
Through small moments of bonding and quiet wisdom, Mei Lan holds onto dignity and love, even as the occupation begins to tear their world apart.
Rather than focusing on battles or military strategy, Blue Orchids highlights the everyday survival of local Malayan families — the fear, resilience, and strength it took simply to live through that period.
For many Malaysians, it reflects stories passed down by grandparents and great-grandparents — memories often shared in fragments, if they were shared at all.
The film, titled Blue Orchids, was inspired by the director's grandmother, who lived through the Japanese occupation as a child
She once shared how she was forced to shave her head and dress as a boy to avoid being taken as a comfort woman, and how she hid in a dugout hole in her backyard while bombs fell around her.
A week after sharing those stories, she suffered a stroke and could no longer speak.
That moment became the driving force behind the film and a wider effort to preserve the memories of Malayan survivors before they disappear entirely.
Despite extensive documentation of colonial and military movements, the voices of local Malayan people remain largely missing from history books and screens.
Mei Lan is played by Sasha Leong, an actress born in Ipoh, Perak, now based in Melbourne. For her, the project represents more than just another acting milestone.
"As a Malaysian who left home to build my acting career from the ground up, this milestone hits deeply. Acting has been a long, steady climb — and to reach this point, with a role that honours the untold stories of our grandparents' generation and the darker histories carried through our lineage, feels like a win for more than just me," she shared.
She stars alongside Amelia Franke, a six-year-old actress with Malaysian roots, whose performance anchors the film's emotional heart.
The creative team behind the film includes Malaysian and Malaysian-Australian filmmakers working across Australia and beyond.
The Wildcard category is essentially a popularity race, and the competing films are largely Australian in subject and tone. This is where Malaysian audiences come in.
If the film secures a finalist spot, it will not just gain international exposure. It could also be seen by global industry figures who have publicly supported Tropfest, including Martin Scorsese and Margot Robbie.
More importantly, it sends a powerful message: Malaysian history matters. Our elders' stories deserve to be remembered. And there is an audience that cares.
Supporting the film is simple but meaningful. Watch it on the Tropfest YouTube channel or below, engage with it, and share it with friends and family, especially those who grew up hearing similar stories from their elders.
