Malaysia, 2013
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Language: English/Malay/Tamil/Cantonese
Running time: 88 minutes
Directed by Rozi Izma, Bront Palarae, Sheikh Munasar
With Amirul Ariff, Azad Jasmin, Mano Maniam, Nell Ng, Ruminah Sidek, Sharifah Amani, Soffi Jikan
Kolumpo – Synopsis
Rahul, an Indian immigrant worker arrives in Kuala Lumpur only to find the company that offered him a job has gone out of business. He is helped by a local restaurant owner and begins his life in the city as an illegal immigrant worker.
In Setapak, Gienna, a Chinese woman in her 30’s, is constantly avoiding phone calls from her mother. She finds herself spending an afternoon helping a stranger, a senile old lady, who can’t remember where her house is.
And in Ampang, Hafidd a young man meets a cute stranger at the LRT Station after they both missed the last train. For someone who has never dated anyone in his life, this occasion is a life-defining moment for the young man and his only hope to see a glimpse of love.
Together the three stories create a collage and kaleidoscope of surprising and electrifying human connections that give life to this bustling Asian metropolis.
Critical acclaim for KOLUMPO:
“Fun, vibrant and entertaining to watch…” “…a mixture of the best and worst qualities of Kuala Lumpur, with three relatable yet charming storylines and a whole lot of heart, sweat and tears. It is the perfect feel good film for the end of the year” – Dzamira Dzafri, Cinema.com, Malaysia
“We’ve waited almost a whole year for this year’s version of [a successful local film], and finally our prayers have been answered with the arrival of Kolumpo in local cinemas, the film is a refreshing look at a few different sides of Kuala Lumpur that we may have forgotten to see, or maybe even never cared to look at before.” – Aidil Rusli, The Star Online Malaysia
“Kolumpo is a beautiful and interesting collage of the human connections that give life to the city and is told in three multi-lingual short stories. It’s always a good sign when a local movie performs beyond expectations and as a bonus, attracts a crossover audience to the cinemas. Kolumpo has been enjoying a solid street buzz since its general release earlier this month… The film has won over the fickle movie-going public here. The sentiment at the cinemas indicates that Kolumpo is one of those rare movies that is capable of capturing the shared Malaysian experience – with its heartfelt stories and local angles.” – Azhariah Kamin, The Star, Kuala Lumpur
“About as close to Paris Je’Taime or New York I Love You as it possibly could – this serendipitous love letter to our city made us realize that we do have strong storytelling voices in our root and given just what we’ve seen, the potential has always been there. Bring back the golden age of good-old, effortless storytelling – we definitely need more of these.” – Derek Lim, Total Film
“A look at KL through three different lenses. It’s less Paris Je t’aime and more Kieslowski’s Three Colours… We get the impression that KL is a microcosm, instead of the big metropolis that it is, full of endless possibilities” –
“After so many turkeys and dodos over the past few months, what a breath of fresh air with KOLUMPO! … KOLUMPU entertains, it has something to say & it depicts the culture & lifestyles (both good & bad) of the peoples of Malaysia. This is the mark of a good film. KOLUMPO is the best mainstream Malaysian film to hit the cinemas this year.” – Filmblog Malaysia, Ajami Hashim
