David Farnor | On 26, Feb 2019

Netflix has nabbed the rights to Malaysian film Rise (Rise Ini Kalilah).

The drama, which was released in its home country and Singapore last September, follows six fictional stories that overlap and interlink. The one thing they have in common is that they all take place in the run-up to last year’s general election.

The historic vote turned into a people’s revolt, as prime minister Najib Razak was deposed from power, ending the rule of the party after 61 years. Bringing to life that landmark event is a cast that includes Remy Ishak, Mira Filzah, Sangeeta Krishnasamy, Jack Tan, Shashi Tharan and Mark O’Dea, as well as Sweet Qismina, Mustaqim Bahadon, Sharifah Sakinah, Yana Samsudin, Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan, Tony Eusoff, Pushpa Narayan, Moon Yoong and David Anthony.

The movie is produced by Fred Chong (Nasi Lemak 2.0, Hantu Gangster) for his own company, Prodigee Film company, with the backing of WebTVAsia, which produces original content and acts as a multichannel network for thousands of creators in the region.

“The world wants to know how a small democracy like Malaysia managed to make a monumental political shift without violence and bloodshed. So I told this story from the lens of six normal citizens, to demonstrate that the power of change comes from unity and determination of its people, not the elected politicians,” Chong told Variety in a statement.

The film is available on Netflix from today.

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