文 / Aubrey Kandelila Fanani
台北電影節2025年「新南向視野」單元於華山光點影廳舉辦「新南向焦點」論壇，邀請來自菲律賓、不丹、印尼與馬來西亞的影人創作者齊聚一堂，現身分享他們在創作與拍攝過程中所經歷的現實困境與情感拉扯。
《旋轉跳躍難抉擇》導演安朵娜特．加達萬（Antoinette Jadaone）、《鱷之淚》導演頓帕・湯普波藍（Tumpal Tampubolon）、《分身的獻曲》女主角丹汀・比達（Tandin Bidha）與《三賊闖天關》攝影指導Gwai Lou不僅暢談劇本誕生與視覺風格的形塑，也呈現出東南亞電影創作現場至今仍須應對的諸多挑戰，例如審查制度與資金匱乏等結構性限制。
創作：從個體經驗走向社會映照
加達萬Jadaone談及《旋轉跳躍難抉擇》的誕生，是一段與疫情同步進行的書寫歷程。疫情使菲律賓影視產業幾近停滯，也給予她更多時間凝視社會邊緣議題。最初，她考慮過幾個主題，最終決定以青少女未婚懷孕為切入點。她實地訪談了多位懷孕中的年輕女孩，透過真實生命經驗堆疊出角色的情感厚度，進一步探索身體主權與社會污名交會之處。
印尼導演湯普波藍（Tumpal Tampubolon）則從一段自然紀錄片中獲得靈感——母鱷將幼鱷含於口中，以此保護牠免於外敵，這個既溫柔又殘酷的意象，使他深受觸動。《鱷之淚》即從這樣一個愛與恐懼交錯的瞬間出發，鋪展成一則融合神話、家庭與奇幻隱喻的寓言。身為群島國家的印尼，鱷魚在多個族群文化中具有神聖意涵，Tampubolon特別安排一隻白鱷作為象徵性角色，承載著文化與靈性的張力。
不丹演員丹汀則坦言，原本她並非《分身的獻曲》的首選演員。在不丹，主流與藝術電影被嚴格區分，她過往多演出商業片。當導演Dechen Roder邀她跨足藝術類型時，她毫不猶豫地接受挑戰。她認為這是促進兩種電影語言對話的契機，同時也觸及年輕世代如何面對數位生活與自我認同的難題——手機與網路自2003年引入不丹後，改變了人們對私密、親密與真實的理解。
來自馬來西亞的攝影指導Gwai Lou介紹，《三賊闖天關》是「Macai三部曲」的一部分，關注馬來西亞印裔少數族群的處境。電影表面上是黑色幽默的公路片，實則細膩拆解主流敘事對印裔形象的刻板再現——他們常被描繪為罪犯，而本片刻意從這個刻板起點切入，顛覆觀眾期待，轉化為一段族群身份與階級意識的探索。他並指出，團隊以「熱帶黑色電影」（tropical noir）為視覺風格，既承襲類型片元素，又保留馬來西亞多語與多族的在地氛圍。
政策與資金：獨立電影人的無聲抗爭
論壇中，各位創作者不約而同提到審查與資金問題對創作自由構成的現實壓力。在菲律賓與印尼，官方電影分級機制依舊具有極高權力。《Sunshine》雖幸運取得16歲以上可觀賞的等級，但Jadaone坦言，若遭遇「X級」，即代表全國禁映。印尼的《鱷之淚》同樣在等待審查結果，片中親密場面可能成為被刪剪的對象。
不丹的情況亦不樂觀。丹汀Tandin分享，她在劇本中看到有接吻場景時感到為難，因為不丹的審查制度一向禁止「真實」的親密鏡頭，片中導演卻要求她演出真正的親吻。她擔心這將如何被家人與觀眾解讀。儘管該片曾在愛沙尼亞塔林影展放映後獲正面評價，最終也順利在不丹上映，但仍被分級為15歲以上才能觀看的片種。
在馬來西亞，審查制度甚至包括細節如「未繫安全帶開車」等違規畫面都需刪除。Gwai Lou解釋，團隊為避免不必要的刪減，特意虛構電影設定，讓影片未明指國家，藉此保留更多敘事自由。
資金問題更是普遍困境。Jadaone指出，菲律賓的電影市場偏好超級英雄與好萊塢大片，本地創作須與之競爭，尤為艱難。《Sunshine》雖獲得私人製片公司支持（即她所屬公司），亦有政府補助，但絕非普遍狀況。她選擇讓來自主流娛樂圈的女星 Maris Racal 擔任主演，意圖吸引更廣泛觀眾。
相較之下，Tampubolon形容印尼近年市場雖漸回暖，本土觀眾占全體60%票房，但主流依然被恐怖片主宰。他本人雖曾撰寫商業片劇本，《鱷之淚》卻因題材獨特（鱷魚為主角）與導演出道作的身份而屢遭投資人質疑，歷時七年才終於完成。他轉向歐洲尋求資金，最終獲得法國、德國與新加坡等地合製支持。
Tandin則指出，過去不丹從未對獨立電影提供國家預算，今年才首次宣布投入創意產業。她相信這將開啟不丹電影產業的新篇章，使創作者得以脫離財務壓力，專注於意義深遠的創作。她也強調影展對獨立電影的關鍵性：「透過影展，觀眾能接觸世界各地的故事，與之產生共鳴、給予支持，甚至資助，最終造就更好的電影。」
Gwai Lou最後補充，馬來西亞印裔導演面臨更嚴峻的資源落差。公共資金常依族群比例分配，而印裔導演因被視為少數，往往難以獲得足夠預算，使他們的故事無法如實展開。他指出，這是一個「結構性的不信任」，阻礙了邊緣群體的文化再現。
這場座談不是一場輕鬆的交流，而是一場跨國電影人對創作自由與文化困境的集體告白。他們的作品雖來自不同國度，卻有著共同的特質——在制度縫隙中堅持書寫，在邊緣位置發出回聲，將影像作為語言，對這個世界低語，甚至吶喊。
——————
原文
Stories Behind the Screen: Cast and Crew Voices at the New Southbound Vision Forum
By Aubrey Kandelila Fanani
Antoinette Jadaone (director of Sunshine, Philippines), Tumpal Tampubolon (director of Crocodile Tears, Indonesia), Tandin Bidha (lead actress of I, the Song, Bhutan), and Gwai Lou (cinematographer of Macai, Malaysia) shared their experiences in writing, creating, and participating in their films, as well as their thoughts on censorship and funding challenges faced by independent filmmakers, at the New Southbound Vision Forum, held on June 22 at SPOT Huashan Cinema.
Jadaone spoke about her writing process for Sunshine, a film about a pregnant teenager who must fight for her rights while facing societal pressure and stigma. She explained that the writing took place during the pandemic, a time when the film industry had largely come to a halt. Initially, she explored various topics, including teen pregnancy. After conducting interviews with pregnant girls, she became certain of her direction and continued speaking with more teenagers to develop the story in greater depth.
In Crocodile Tears, Tampubolon stated that the idea is rooted in his personal exploration of the meaning of love. He was inspired by a nature documentary showing a mother crocodile protecting her child by placing it in her jaws. This striking image, both terrifying and tender, made him think about the nature of love. To actualize his vision, he looked for a crocodile park that is, in turn, just two hours from his home, which provided the story and setting that he needed.
As an archipelagic country, Indonesia has many rivers that are home to crocodiles, and various cultures have myths and beliefs that regard them as sacred. To accommodate the local beliefs, Tampubolon featured a white crocodile in his film as a sacred creature.
Meanwhile, Tandin Bidha, who initially performed in mainstream film in Bhutan, admitted she was the last actress considered for the film I, the Song, as the film industry in Bhutan separates performance into mainstream and art forms. When the director Dechen Roder offered her the role, she immediately said yes to it. To her, the opportunity allows for collaboration between mainstream and art, which could lead to something significant.
Additionally, in her opinion, the film is not just entertainment; it is also educational for young people to use their cellphones wisely. The film is in line with the social issues that are rising in Bhutan, especially regarding social media. She explained the cellphones were introduced in Bhutan in 2003, and not long after that, the internet took over people’s minds. People share everything through social media, including intimacy that should remain private.
Moving on to Macai, the cinematographer Gwai Lou explained the film is part of the “Macai Trilogy,” which explores the experiences of the Indian minority in Malaysia. It addresses the complex identity of the Indian minority in Malaysia living in a place where they belong yet feel unaccepted.
The film challenges traditional portrayals of Indian minorities in Malaysian cinema, which often depict them as criminals. Instead, it uses this stereotype as a narrative entry point to subvert expectations and add depth. To support the theme, Lou explains that they create a "tropical noir" aesthetic to complement the gangster story while capturing a distinctively local atmosphere. Additionally, the film also explores the relationships between Malaysia’s different ethnic groups, including Malays and Chinese.
The Challenges: Censorship and Funding
Furthermore, the cast and crew also discussed the challenges they faced as independent filmmakers during the production of their film. To screen the film in their homeland, they must navigate the Censorship Board, which often cuts and censors intimate scenes, such as kissing or sexual scenes, but allows violent scenes, such as killing or murder.
In some cases, like in the Philippines, the Board evaluates films and assigns a rating to determine whether they can be screened in the country. If the film received an “X” rating, a rating to the film to classify whether the film can be screened in the country. If the film got an “X” rating, it means the film cannot be shown anywhere in the country. Fortunately, after the assessment, the Sunshine was given a rating that permits viewing by an audience aged 16 and older.
The film Crocodile Tears is facing a similar situation. To be shown in Indonesia, it must be evaluated by the Censorship Board. Currently, Tampubolon is awaiting the results of this evaluation. He is uncertain about the extent of the censorship that may be applied to the film, particularly because it contains some intimate scenes.
Bidha mentioned that when she read the script, there was a scene in which the character kisses a guy. She felt uncertain about this because, in Bhutan, intimacy scenes are usually depicted as fake due to strict censorship laws, which typically prevent real kissing scenes from appearing in films. However, in the film *I, the Song*, the director asked her to perform an actual kissing scene. This made her concerned about how her family, mentors, and fans would react to it.
After being screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, the film was eventually shown in Bhutan and was well received. Bidha explained that this acceptance was partly due to the fact that Bhutan has board members who have a better understanding of cinema, allowing some scenes to pass censorship. Nevertheless, the film is still rated for audiences aged 15 and over.
While in Malaysia, there are specific regulations regarding censorship. Not only will intimate scenes be censored, but also scenes that violate state rules, such as driving a car without wearing a seatbelt. To deal with this issue, the creator of Macai had developed a fictional setting that does not explicitly indicate Malaysia.
Overall, both in Southeast Asia and East Asia, they encountered a common dilemma: there is a strong distinction between mainstream and art films. This distinction leads to different treatment within the industry, particularly regarding funding opportunities.
Jadaone expressed that a major challenge for filmmakers in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia is always the budget. “We need money to make a good film, we have supplies of talent in Southeast Asia, but we need support from the government and from other people who believe in our cinema, to be able to make a better film and to show it to the rest of the world.”
Jadaone explained that most films in the Philippines are funded by large private companies that provide budgets to storytellers and filmmakers. These studios typically have actors already attached to the project. Sunshine received funding from a private company, which is also her production company, along with support from the government.
She noted that many audiences in the Philippines tend to prefer superhero films and Hollywood films, which means local films have to compete with major blockbusters. To address this challenge, Jadaone cast Maris Racal as a lead actress who is from the mainstream industry, as a strategy to attract more audience to watch the film.
Contrast with the Philippines, Tampubolon described the Indonesian film industry has been thriving in recent years. The local market captured 60 percent of the audience last year, indicating significant improvement. However, the market is heavily dominated by horror films as a mainstream genre and form.
Event Tampubolon has experience as a screenwriter for several mainstream and blockbuster films in Indonesia. However, he faced significant challenges in securing investors for his film Crocodile Tears. The investors often hesitate when it comes to new ideas, especially if the director is making their debut or if the film features unusual elements, like a crocodile. This lack of trust contributed to the difficulty in finding funding, which made this film take almost seven years to complete. To overcome these challenges, Tampubolon sought co-production opportunities to secure funding from countries like France, Germany, and Singapore, which offer financial support for projects from the Global South.
Similarly, Bidha also noted that independent filmmakers in Bhutan have never had access to reserved funds from the government. But this year, for the first time, the government has decided to invest in the creative sector, including film. The government is now beginning to recognize the power of cinema, not just as entertainment, but as a strong medium to educate, influence, and inspire people.
After a long wait, the government’s initiative to support the creative sector means that filmmakers can create meaningful films without being constantly burdened by financial worries. This marks a new chapter for the industry in Bhutan. She also emphasized the importance of film festivals in supporting independent filmmakers, as they allow audiences to discover stories from different parts of the world, relate to them, fund them, and ultimately create better stories.
Meanwhile, Lou shared the difficulties in securing funding for independent film in Malaysia, especially for Indian Malaysian filmmakers. For Indian Malaysians, funding is a constant struggle. The budgets they receive are often much smaller, which limits the stories they can tell and the scale of their productions. While filmmakers usually rely on public funds, Indian Malaysian filmmakers find these funds to be limited due to the influence of their ethnic background on funding schemes. As a minority group, Indian Malaysians often receive a smaller share of the budget because investors are concerned about recouping their investment. This situation makes it even more challenging for minority filmmakers to gain support.