The heartwarming Malaysian film The Melody of Sisters, centered on the story of an autistic family, is set to be released nationwide on June 25. Producer Ng Kar Yee admitted that when she invested a six-figure sum in the film, she never put ‘recouping costs’ as her top priority. Instead, she hopes to spread love and hope through the movie, bringing encouragement and strength to families in need.
Ng Kar Yee said that film is not just an art form, but also a record that can be preserved for a long time. Movies enable the audience to empathize and can help those in need—this is her biggest wish. “I hope this work can leave positive energy for the next generation. I also hope that parents of autistic children, and even caretakers, can gain support and courage after watching the film.”
The Melody of Sisters tells the story of two sisters who depend on each other after the death of their mother. The older sister, after losing her mother, is forced to bear the responsibility of taking care of her autistic younger sister, while making a difficult choice between her dreams and her family. On Monday night, the production team held a special screening at TGV Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, inviting over 1,000 viewers—including autistic children and their parents. Before this, special screenings had already been held in northern and eastern Malaysia. The production team also successfully applied for the Malaysia Book of Records certification for ‘the most autistic children participating in a movie screening event’.
When asked about the most memorable scene, Hung Zhijing laughed and said it was a scene where she buys a music box but is misunderstood by her sister as stealing—it took more than 10 takes. Ng Kar Yee revealed on the spot that there was also a bread-eating scene that had to be reshot so many times, Hung nearly ate the entire loaf. Hung Zhijing hopes that after watching the film, the audience will gain more understanding and tolerance toward autistic individuals: "I hope people will stop treating autism as a joke or an internet meme."
In addition, Huang Jianbin, who previously starred in this year’s Lunar New Year film Be a Wealthy Man, plays a band leader in this film and secretly has feelings for the female lead, An Yingfei. He said the biggest challenge for his character was to portray his complex and delicate inner world: “Faced with the person he likes, seeing her bear the responsibility of taking care of her autistic sister, he can only keep his feelings to himself and silently support her.”
Directed by Zhu Tianfeng and starring An Yingfei, Hung Zhijing, Cai Yien, and Huang Jianbin, The Melody of Sisters will be released nationwide on June 25.