River of Exploding Durians
River of Exploding Durians is a 2014 Malaysian drama film directed by Edmund Yeo. It is his first full-length film. It follows the high school students and their history teacher as they fight against the construction of a potentially radioactive rare earth plant. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Tokyo International Film Festival, where it was competed for the main prize.
| River of Exploding Durians | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mandarin | 榴梿忘返 |
| Directed by | Edmund Yeo |
| Produced by | Woo Ming Jin Edmund Yeo |
| Written by | Edmund Yeo |
| Starring | Zhu Zhi-Ying Koe Shern Daphne Low Joey Leong Ivan Tai Jasmine Suraya Chin |
| Music by | Wong Woan Foong |
| Cinematography | Kong Pahurak |
| Edited by | Edmund Yeo |
Production company | Greenlight Pictures Indie Works |
Release date |
|
Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Language | Mandarin |
The film also had its European premiere at the 2015 International Film Festival Rotterdam, under the Bright Future section. In addition, the film had its U.S. premiere at CAAMFest in San Francisco.
Plot
When a rare earth plant is being built near a coastal town, its inhabitants fall into despair, fearful of its radioactive effects. Ming, a high school student, is indifferent towards the changes. All he cares about is spending idyllic afternoons with the childhood friend he secretly loves, Mei Ann.
Meanwhile. Ming's history teacher, Ms. Lim, has started an activist group to protest against the construction. She recruits her favourite student, Hui Ling, to join her. Their idealism is severely tested.
As the construction goes on, they are all drawn into a chain of events that changes their lives irrevocably.
Cast
- Zhu Zhi-Ying as Teacher Lim
- Koe Shern as Ming
- Daphne Low as Hui Ling
- Joey Leong as Mei Ann
- Pearlly Chua as Headmistress Lee
- Mayjune as Sandy
- Azman Hassan as Plant Manager
- Ivan Tai as Guo Xiang
- Kenji Sawahii as Mei Ann's Father
- Kin Wah Chew as Ming's Father (as Chew Kin Wah)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Event | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Tokyo International Film Festival | Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix | River of Exploding Durians | Nominated |