Malaysian action drama Malbatt: Misi Bakara, offering an alternative perspective on the incident that inspired Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, is set for a local theatrical release on a level normally reserved for Hollywood blockbusters.
Distributed by GSC Movies, the film will open in more than 150 cinemas across Malaysia on August 24, a week ahead of Malaysia’s Independence Day on August 31. It represents a significant release for a local feature in the country, which usually favours major US titles. It will also receive a day-and-date release in Singapore through Clover Films.
Directed by Malaysian filmmaker Adrian Teh, the film centres on the Battalion Malay Regiment (Malbatt), following their deployment by the UN to rescue US soldiers trapped in Mogadishu’s Bakara Market in 1993. The US side of the story was told in Black Hawk Down, which won two Oscars following its release in 2001.
The director told Screen that the film would spotlight the involvement of the Malaysian army in the infamous incident, which he says was overlooked in the US feature.
“It’s important to retell the true story from a Malaysian perspective,” said Teh. “I view it as a chance to set the record straight about an event in history in which the heroic actions of the Malaysian army were not recognised in the Black Hawk Down movie, and also remind our fellow Malaysians to be proud of our armed forces.”
Riding on the recent box office success of local blockbusters such as Mat Kilau and Polis Evo 3, Malbatt: Misi Bakara is billed as the most ambitious and possibly most expensive ever feature produced in Malaysia, with a budget of $4.3m (RM20 million). The production spent three months filming on location around Gazientep in Turkey.
The leading cast includes Bront Palarae (Satan’s Slaves and its sequel), Shaheizy Sam (Polis Evo 3) and Hairul Azreen (Paskal: The Movie, The Assistant). Serving as military technical advisor is Paul Biddiss, who spent more than two decades in the British Army and now works on high-profile features such as Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, Scott’s upcoming Napoleon and Oscar-winner 1917.
Among the backers are Berjaya Pictures, Golden Screen Cinemas, Astro Shaw and director Teh’s Act 2 Pictures. Teh has directed several action films including Wira, The Assistant and Paskal: The Movie, Malaysia’s first military-themed film.
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