In April and May 2010, two documentary series produced under the TV2 Chinese program Galeri Mandarin Nasional were shelved and banned respectively by the RTM director general.

This month, a revised version of the two documentaries that reveal the social impact of Bakun Dam and the Rawang high tension power plant will be shown to a wider audience in more than 12 venues along the west coast of the peninsula.

This series of activities including forums and screenings will start on March 8, and is jointly organised by Peoples Documentary Foundation, Video Art Magazine and Malaysiakini.

Organisations that host the screening include KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall social economic committee, New Era College media study society Kajang, Lim Lian Giok Cultural Development Centre Perak (LLGPERAK), Penang Chinese Town Hall, Suaram Penang, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Taiping, Negeri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall Youth (NSCAHY), Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall (Youth Section), Chuang Hwa High School Muar, Pusat Khidmat Ahli Parlimen Bakri Muar, PKR Kluang, and Suaram Johor Bharu.

Documentaries that reflect social reality are a rare breed in Malaysia. This genre will have to counter both inner and outer dangers, including audience demands for entertainment value, interference from mainstream media owners, and self-censorship.

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In April 2004, producer of NTV7 current affairs talk show ‘Editor's Time’ cum producer of ‘Edisi Siasat’ Joshua Wong Ngee Choong resigned to protest the self-censorship of media organisations; National TV station TV2 producer of ‘Galeri Mandarin Nasional’ Chou Z Lam was fired since he produced and broadcast the Bakun documentary series.

This is how the draconian media laws and political interference over freedom of information is stifling the growth of documentaries.

Under such a dire situation, the documentary is the most effective way of information dissemination to record and to critique social realities.

Documentary makers must overcome the shackles proactively and face up to the dilemmas.

As such, we are freeing the documentary from its shackles by running them outside of the mainstream media.

'Running' not as in giving oneself up, but abandoning the comfort of safety, to face the real public and to face the challenges.

To kick off, we will screen the founder of Peoples Documentary Foundation Chou Z Lam’s revised Bakun Trilogy parts 1 & 2, and the director cum producer of VideoArt Magazine Lai KK’s ‘March Encircling’ nationwide.

The aim is to keep the issues surrounding Bakun and Rawang alive.

Screening Dates:

8 March 2011 – 6 April 2011

Films:

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Bakun Trilogy: Episode 1 Flood (42 minutes)
Bakun Trilogy: Episode2 Injustice (46 minutes)
Defend Our Homeland (60 minutes)

Schedules:

(8pm – 11pm except where otherwise stated)

09/3/2011 (Wed) KLSCAH

10/3/2011 (Thus) Negeri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall

11/3/2011 (Fri) Kelab50-B, Bangsar Utama

15/3/2011 (Tue) Sepetang (to be confirmed)

16/3/2011 (Wed) Perpustakaan Mini Oasis, Ipoh

17/3/2011 (Thus) Taiping (to be confirmed)

18/3/2011 (Fri) Penang Chinese Town Hall

19/3/2011 (Sat) Caring Society Complex, Penang, (2pm - 5pm)

24/3/2011 (Thus) Pay Fong Media Room, Malacca

25/3/2011 (Fri) Chuang Hwa High School , Muar (For Student Only, 2pm - 5pm), Pusat Khidmat Ahli Parlimen Bakri

26/3/2011 (Sat) PKR office, Kluang

27/3/2011 (Sun) Suaram Johor Bharu Office

6/4/2011 (Wed) New Era College, Kajang Selangor (3pm -6pm)

Note: schedule and venue subject to change, please check with the organisers for updates.