KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Mother Bhumi, written and directed by Chong Keat Aun and starring renowned actress Fan Bingbing, has finally arrived in Malaysian cinemas.
This local feature, which has screened in Japan, Italy and Singapore, is set in 1998 Kedah and is inspired by local folklore about a mysterious female shaman.
It also explores village life and rural communities, with a focus on the traditions and culture of rice cultivation.
Speaking to Malay Mail, Chong said the story of Mother Bhumi was inspired by fragments of tales he heard growing up in Kedah.
A childhood memory brought to the screen
“Mother Bhumi is based on my experiences since childhood because I was raised in my hometown surrounded by many shamans,” he said.
“The first time I heard about Mother Bhumi, this female shaman, I was probably around eight or nine years old.
“But I never actually met this shaman — I only heard people talk about her as someone powerful who helped women.”
Chong said female shamans were especially rare in Kedah, where most practitioners were traditionally men.
“Usually, female shamans would treat spiritual or emotional illnesses,” he added.
That curiosity stayed with him for years, and between 2015 and 2016, Chong began speaking to locals during a festival in Kedah.
He interviewed residents and villagers about rice cultivation and rural life, but many conversations eventually circled back to the same mysterious woman.
“That’s when it struck me — this woman had really become a frequent topic of conversation among the farmers there.”
During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Chong revisited those interviews, which eventually evolved into the screenplay for Mother Bhumi.
Director Chong Keat Aun recalls childhood tales that inspired ‘Mother Bhumi’, a mystical story of a female shaman. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
Production took place from February to October 2024, around the same period Fan arrived in Malaysia.
How Fan Bingbing became the lead in Mother Bhumi
Chong and Fan met during the 2023 Singapore International Film Festival, where the director’s third feature film, Snow in Midsummer, was screened.
Fan admired Chong’s storytelling style in the film, which led to discussions about collaborating on a future project.
“I shared my background from Kedah and told her about this female shaman character,” Chong said.
“She was immediately interested because she had never played a Malaysian shaman before.”
Chong initially wondered whether the collaboration would work, as the film features multiple languages and dialects, including Kedah Malay, Thai, Hokkien, and Chinese.
Nevertheless, he praised Fan’s commitment to the role.
Over eight months, the actress learned the languages used in the film, studied farming practices, and adapted herself to village life in preparation for the character.
International success and hopes for local support
Mother Bhumi received eight nominations at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards, winning three awards — Best Cinematography, Best Original Film Song, and Best Leading Actress for Fan.
The film also stars Natalie Hsu, Bai Run-yin, and Pearlly Chua, among others.
Internationally, Mother Bhumi has been well received but its reception in Malaysia remains to be seen.
Chong expressed hope that Malaysians would support Mother Bhumi, noting that movies authentically portraying the Kedah community are rarely produced.
“The film is set in the 1990s, specifically in 1998, when Malaysia was experiencing the turbulence of the Reformasi movement.
“So the film is not merely about a female shaman, but also about an important historical moment in our country.
“In the film, we portray the memories of society during that period — not only from a political perspective, but also through the everyday lives of Malaysians at the time,” he concluded.
Mother Bhumi is currently screening in cinemas nationwide.
