The Story of 90 Coins is a labour of love for director Michael Wong. The short film, which tells the story of a special promise of love and happiness between a passionate male lover to a reluctant girl, has drawn rave reviews in the realm of filmmaking since it was released in 2015. With the central premise revolving around the symbol of ninety coins, which are the ninety days the man uses to prove his true colour and prove his intentions, the film ultimately reminds audiences to not just let a promise just be a beautiful memory.
Ultimately The Story of 90 Coins is a story of promise, misunderstanding and regret, and it was a film that Michael worked tirelessly to bring to life. A former ad agency art director and creative director, Michael switched career tracks to focus on his love for filmmaking, which has paid off immensely with The Story of 90 Coins. We had the opportunity to interview the director to ask him about his film, telling stories and the challenges of filmmaking in Malaysia and how possibly to overcome them.
How did the idea for The Story of 90 coins come about?
Initially we were exploring three concepts and the ‘coins’ seems to have a richer storyline among them and moreover it was partially based on a true story of a friend’s friend.I guess there’s always inspiration around us if we observe and dig deeper into every day’s life.
Why did you want to tell this particular story?
I felt that a film should have a ‘twist’ or some sort of a crossroad in its storyline to make it compelling and therefore the crux of the story (coins sealed in brown envelopes) was particularly appropriate! With this idea in mind, we started building a timeline around it; and the story began from the courtship of the protagonists during their university days and extended beyond their working life, which spanned approximately nine years. That’s a lot of little beautiful stories to evoke memories and emotions for the viewers.
Were you surprised at the critical reception the film received. How did it feel?
Definitely! The film is currently getting about 50+ accolades from international film festivals; which includes the Best Direction & Best Cinematography at Malta Int’l Short Film Festival, Best Foreign Short & Best Actress at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, Best Drama & Best Cinematography at Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Foreign Short Film at Ukrainian International Short Film Festival, Rising Star Awards at Canada International Film Festival, among others.
Most importantly above all is to receive all those honest film reviews, film critics and even feedbacks from online viewers, which really give me an interesting perspective on my short film. It’s a humbling feeling to know how ‘The Story of 90 Coins’ touches so many viewers’ heart and how the story connects with people of all ages.
What’s the hardest part about being a filmmaker in Malaysia?
I’ve been working as a film director in China for the past 7 years and the previous 11 years in the adverting industry in China. I’ve on several attempts spoken to some film production houses back in Malaysia on the possibility of collaboration and projects. I think the hardest part (for me) is actually working within the TV commercial budget there, which is more than half of the production budget in China. The ‘pie’ is even smaller which means you get more competitors in a tight market. Having said that, the feature & short film market is gradually growing back home, with some good stuffs coming out of late.
What steps do you think should be taken to boost the industry there?
Perhaps a boost in the digital presence could help in stimulating the industry back in Malaysia such as cheaper and faster access to mobile Internet, cheaper mobile devices coupled with the emergence of regional video platforms to help create a vibrant digital ecosystem whereby people can easily watch films anytime anywhere. I was fortunate enough to see that happened in China since a few years back and it really boosts the domestic film industry.
Check out The Story of 90 Coins by Michael Wong on Vimeo or on Facebook
