I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone to Miss Andy – 5 Malaysian LGBT movies that explore the queer complexities of life in a conservative society

When it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, Malaysia still has a long way to go. Due to the country’s generally homophobic atmosphere (same-sex acts are banned by the law there), the narratives of LGBTQ+ people in the country are often “lost in translation”, if not erased altogether.

Luckily, the world of cinema is the one place where the LGBTQ+ community can claim space. While the representation of its members on the silver screen is still scarce, it is not entirely impossible, as proved by the following five Malaysian LGBTQ+ movies.

Each story will show you the humane nuances and complexities experienced by people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum that could never truly be conveyed elsewhere.

1. Dalam Botol (2011)

Dalam Botol narrates the story of a young Malay man named Rubidin as he embarks on a sex change operation, and thus, a physical transformation into “Ruby”. But he soon finds himself devastated when boyfriend, Ghaus, cannot accept him in female form. The exploration of his identity becomes even more complicated when he falls for a woman named Dina.

As Malaysia’s first-ever “gay” film, Dalam Botol is as eye-opening as it is controversial. With it, director Khir Rahman not only raised awareness of the country’s homosexual and transsexual communities but also explored previously unseen impacts of internalised heterosexism.

2. Bukak Api (2000)

Made by Osman Ali in collaboration with Pink Triangle Foundation Malaysia, Bukak Api is a documentary about Malaysian mak nyahs or male-to-female transsexuals. In English, the title means “open fire”, which is street lingo for “sex with a client”.

The film’s bluntness does not stop at mere terminology alone. It was made to explore the real lives of Malaysian transsexual and transgendered sex workers as honestly as possible to cultivate public awareness of HIV and Aids.