MH370 movie: the vanishing act

It was inevitable that a movie, not a documentary, would be made from the disappearance of flight MH370!

But, who would ‘dare’ to put a tragedy without evidence on the silver screen? Would it be Hollywood? Bollywood? Nollywood?

MH370 was not only the lead story in many western news organizations globally, beyond CNN’s obsession, but also the number one trending topic on many social media for sustained period of time, and it quickly reached the five corners of the world. Thus, the film would naturally feed into the curiosity-cum-information vacuum and may confirm theories for a segment of opinions.

Even if the whereabouts of MH370 are located before the movie is released in August, many people will still make an effort to see the movie. For more than anything else, it will provide imagination colour, and may, just may, provide closure for some.
Imagination of the director on:

-Passengers travelling with the stolen passports

-Security screening at KLIA, cargo manifest, etc.

-Relationships of captain (with the simulator), co-captain, and cabin crew

-Pre-flight plane checks

-Selected Business/Economy class passengers that figure into the story and sub-stories

-Portrayal of Press Briefing by Hishammuddin Hussein, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Transport

Will the trailer be allowed to be viewed in Malaysia and/or China?  If not, it will be the greatest public relations publicity for the movie! Many people will spend money to go to another country where its premiered! The black/grey market will also address the demand!

Cannes Film Festival

On May 18, the UK’s Mirror reported Bollywood Director, Rupesh Paul, put together a US$3.5 million (RM11.24 million)  trailer for the MH370 movie, The Vanishing act, for the Cannes Film Festival.  That $3.5M investment may be a very smart move, as raising money for the movie to be shot in US, India, etc., will not encounter the usual fund raising obstacles! Investors may be counting their money even before investing, but there is a caveat and it involves contingency-fee based lawyers!

The spark for the movie, to be released in August, was an unnamed Malaysian journalist, who contacted Rupesh Paul about his theory concerning the disappearance, and a fictional trailer was made in record time, the screen play took three weeks and the shooting took six days in an actual plane in Bombay.

The trailer comes across as an intense undertaking of part horror film, part action-thriller, part scorned characters, and part entrenched interpretation of a higher being.

Observations

The fast-track speed which the trailer came out within alleged sensitivities towards the families of the victims is a ‘Houdini-like tight ropewalker across Niagara Falls’ balancing act.

[If it becomes accepted without massive back-lash, does it act as an template for other recent external shock events, like Putin and Ukraine, Hafez/Baashar  and Syrian genocide, Malala and Taleban,  or even former deputy prime minister of Malaysia and his vocal boss?]

The initial thought that came to mind, in today’s age of lawsuits and counter-suits, is there some sort of permission required to make such a movie? If so, from whom: MAS/Malaysian government, families of victims, etc?  Now, is it reasonable to expect lawyers will go after the movie revenue on behalf of victims, and collect their contingency fee?

Second, the world has not found a trace of MH370, conspiracy theories abound, and we now have a trailer about what could have happened.  Is the movie  a stop gap filler  when information is not forthcoming, too little, or is incorrect?

The biggest concern of the director is, when/if MH370 found, his movie theory is incorrect. But, it is a fictional movie, hence, he covers his tracts and tracks with the usual disclaimers for self protection.

Third, the unnamed Malaysia journalist reached out to an Indian director with a theory, hmm, why? Did this person have access to some insights or inside information?  The comment is not meant to "inflame passions for a witch hunt?" 

Would the journalist not be taken seriously in the Malaysian movie industry? Or is this too politically charged for Malaysia to undertake? The movie may challenge the Malaysian narrative and control, as perceptions may be coloured or discoveries clouded going forward about MH370.

Conclusion

As journalists have a certain code of integrity that they must abide by, does the movie industry, from Hollywood to Bollywood, have a similar responsibility to, say, family of the victims when the search for the evidence is still work in progress?

Will the "magic" of Bollywood provide some answers to the Vanishing MH370? Will it inflame passions against the airline? Governments?

We understand the motivation of the director, getting to the truth, but we have have not heard from him if percentage of the movie revenue will go to a trust fund for the families of the victims?

This trailer will produce many comments, good, bad and ugly, and it will set up for a very charged release! – May 20, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.