KUCHING: TV Sarawak (TVS) is set to showcase the premiere of “Missing You,” an engaging Chinese-language film shot against the scenic backdrop of Sarawak.
The narrative revolves around ‘Ah Ren’, a Singaporean digital influencer portrayed by Benjamin Josiah Tan, embarking on an emotional journey to reunite with his long-lost sister in Sarawak.
Guided by fragmented memories and the comforting taste of local delicacy “mee kolo”, Ah Ren is accompanied by the spirited Sarawakian tour guide ‘Ah Mei’, played by the talented Riona Chung.
According to a press release by TVS, the storyline of ‘Missing You’ is written by Jimz Lee, a veteran with over 20 years of experience in the film industry, who is also one of the film’s directors (co-director Eean Khoo).
Lee joined Mediacorp in 2000. After 2004, he returned to Malaysia and made his first short film, “A Lonely Man”, which was nominated as one of the Top 10 finalists for BMW Shorties.
Under MM2, Lee has produced a variety of films, including Kiasu (2014), Long Long Time Ago 1&2 (2014), Wonder Boy (2017), Buyer Beware (2018), A Big Day (2018), and most recently Singapore film Number 1 (2020), winning the Best Makeup & Costume Design in the 57th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival.
“This movie means a lot to me because it allows me to reconnect with myself, examine my past, and explore my future. I always want to convey a message through my movies, and I hope the audience can comprehend something meaningful after watching my movies.
“Through this movie, although Ah Ren is searching for his long-lost sister, what is more important is that he finds himself again through this journey. He also finds his family. Through this movie, I would like to bring out the beauty of Sarawak so that people will love this land more, including the people, the environment, and, more importantly, the food.
“Food is one of the primary cultures of a place; without food, there is no soul in the culture. Last but certainly not least is the traditional Sarawakian musical instrument, the ‘sape’.
“Featuring Jerry Kamit with moving music to match the marvellous journey, ‘Missing You’ is sure to keep viewers entertained and naturally invested in the journey of finding themselves.
“The biggest reward this time is that we get to, for the first time, collaborate with Sarawak’s famous musician, Andrew Bong, and we hope that through his music, more elements of Sarawak’s culture can be introduced to the audience so that the audience will have a sense of familiarity and resonance whilst viewing.”
‘Missing You’ is produced by a local Sarawak production house, The Dream Film Production Sdn Bhd, led by a young, aspiring, and talented film producer, David Lim, who has produced a few films for TVS to date.
“Lim has an eye for good talent and collaboration,” quoted Andrew Bong, the CEO of Ventura Interactive Sdn Bhd (Ventura Interactive recently co-produced a feature film, Koklir (2023), with The R&D Studio, and animation like The Pillar of Strength, which is the first Sarawak animation in cinemas nationwide).
Lim approached Bong, a good friend of Lee, to co-produce ‘Missing You’ and offer audio post-production support.
The Dream Film Production will be collaborating with Ventura Interactive again for Lee’s next feature film, ‘You Are My Son’, supported by FINAS Malaysia, starring award-winning Malaysian actress and singer-songwriter Yise Lo, set to release in 2025.
‘Missing You’ premieres on Dec 17 at 9.15pm only on TVS, Channel 122, MYTV, Unifi TV, and Astro.
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for ‘Missing You’, composed by Bong, has been released in 249 countries and over 20 online stores and is now available on major music streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and many more.
