Syahadan, a new Malaysian Silat movie produced by Trilion Marketing in collaboration with the Malaysian National Silat Federation (PESAKA), was released on January 23rd. The film is an effort to highlight and promote the art of Silat as an educational institution for the Malaysian community, especially for the younger generation. This film is a work and documentation of Martial Arts as a national heritage treasure as recognized by UNESCO, Silat as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.
The main protagonist “Omar” is played by world-champion Silat fighter Jufferi Jamari and features real Silat practitioners. Omar is sent by his father to study Silat under Pak Daud, a Silat master. The producer has paid 100% of the cost for the production of the film without funding from any party throughout the process of making this Syahadan film, starting from script writing, directing, camera unit, lighting unit, audio unit, prop unit, technical unit and up to the post-production unit. The movie consists of a combination of martial arts experts from various schools in Malaysia.
The film goes through a similar journey as the original karate kid, a undisciplined kid meeting a master and training in the traditional art of Malaysian Silat. There are some bad guys that get beat up throughout the movie. The movie is not at the quality of other Silat films such as Merantau or Mat Kilau, but it does keep your attention. The best part of the film is that it really explains Silat and the different aspects of training. It delves into the culture and spiritually behind Silat practice in Malaysia.
Overall, Syahadan is a good watch. It’s not a high-budget film, but it’s worth the watch for anyone interested in learning about the traditional art of Silat and the culture behind it. The film is an important effort to promote the art of Silat as an educational institution for the Malaysian community and to raise awareness of the cultural heritage of Silat. The film is an important step in preserving and promoting the traditional art of Silat in Malaysia.
