26/01/2026

LYFE MONDAY | JAN 26, 2026

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Using AI to realise personal film project P ARUT , an independently developed feature film written and directed by Malaysian filmmaker o Independent Malaysian movie Parut gains growing international recognition

Mohd Hisham Saleh, has received growing international recognition across multiple film festivals in Europe and the US, including wins and finalist placements in major feature film categories. Developed outside traditional production and funding structures, Parut began as a personal creative project rather than a commercial production. The screenplay was originally written in 2021 during the Covid 19 lockdown period and refined over several years before being independently realised through a tightly controlled, self-directed filmmaking process. Hisham is a Malaysian writer and director whose work spans narrative films, brand storytelling and music videos for established Malaysian artistes. Alongside his creative practice, he works full-time in the field of marketing technology. Parut was developed entirely outside his professional role, without corporate backing or institutional sponsorship, as a personal artistic endeavour pursued beyond commercial expectations. The film tells the g works story of a Malay traffic police officer and his Indian stepdaughter as they confront unresolved trauma linked to a decades-old riot. At its core, Parut is a restrained, character driven exploration of duty, forgiveness and emotional scars passed quietly across generations. The story also serves as a tribute to the often-unseen humanity of Malaysia’s traffic police officers, whose personal lives are shaped by the demands of public service. As part of its independent production approach, Parut was developed using generative AI as a creative tool within a traditional filmmaking framework that prioritised writing, direction, research, editing, colour grading and sound design. Rather than positioning technology as spectacle, the process focused on adapting cinematic language to the constraints of the medium while preserving narrative intention and emotional integrity. What began as a personal experiment in storytelling discipline has since gained unexpected international attention. Parut has competed in general narrative and feature categories – including alongside live-action films – reflecting a growing interest in works that explore new production methods c s s nt a d a r of nd ed ns. s a een i ’

while remaining grounded in authorship and thematic depth. “I never set out to make a statement about technology. This film exists because the story mattered to me, and I was determined to find a way to tell it. The tools were secondary. The heart of the film has always been human,” said Hisham. Parut stands as an independent, non-commercial work – shaped by persistence rather than profit – and a reminder that storytelling remains rooted in intention, restraint and emotional truth, regardless of the tools used to realise it. The following is a question session with the director on Parut :

never came first. The characters and their emotional journey did. Some people feel AI undermines filmmaking craft. How do you respond? I don’t see craft as tied to a specific tool. Craft lives in intention, restraint and decision-making. Every choice in Parut , from pacing to performance to sound, was made deliberately. The process was demanding, not automatic. Does AI replace actors, crew or traditional filmmaking? Not in my experience. Parut doesn’t replace anything. It exists alongside traditional filmmaking, especially for independent storytellers who don’t have access to funding or infrastructure. Is this a commercial project? Will it be released theatrically? No. Parut was developed as a personal, independent project, outside commercial production structures. Any recognition it has received was unexpected and came after the film was completed. your MarTech background influence your filmmaking? It gives me discipline and an understanding of systems, but the filmmaking decisions come from my background as a writer and director. Parut was developed entirely outside my professional role, in my at international festivals. How do you see that recognition? As encouragement, not validation. The awards tell me the story connected beyond its method of production, which matters more to me than the tools used. What do you hope audiences take away from Parut ? Empathy. The film is about scars – visible and invisible – and how people carry them quietly. If viewers leave with a little more understanding for each other, that’s enough. What’s next for you? More AI films? I’m interested in stories first. The form will always serve the story, not the other way around. y access infrast Is th proje relea P inde outsi prod Any rece une afte com Ho Ma inf fil It an of fi c b How does own time. You’ve won awards

Parut follows Alila, an Indian girl raised as a Hindu, who moves in with her estranged Malay-Muslim stepfather.

Is Parut an AI film? Parut is a feature film written and directed by me, developed independently using generative AI as part of the production process. AI was a tool, not the subject of the film. The story, structure and emotional direction were shaped through traditional filmmaking decisions. Why use AI at all? Because the script existed long before the tools did. After the screenplay wasn’t picked up for funding, AI became a way for me to realise the film independently, without waiting for institutional support. It wasn’t about experimentation – it was about persistence. Were you trying to make a statement about technology? No. I was trying to tell a story that mattered to me. The technology

Hisham is a Malaysian writer and director whose work spans narrative films, brand storytelling and music videos for established Malaysian artistes.