Yasmin Ahmad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yasmin Ahmad
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Ahmad in 2006
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| Born | 7 January 1958 |
| Died | 25 July 2009 (aged 51) Damansara Specialist Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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| Occupation | Film director, film writer, scriptwriter |
| Years active | 1993–2009 |
| Spouse(s) |
Tan Yew Leong
(m. 2003–2009) |
| Parents |
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Yasmin binti Ahmad (born January 7, 1958 – died July 25, 2009) was a famous Malaysian film director and writer. She was also a top creative director at a big advertising company called Leo Burnett in Kuala Lumpur.
Yasmin Ahmad was well-known for her funny and heartwarming TV commercials and movies. Her work often connected with people from different cultures. This was especially true for her ads for Petronas, Malaysia's national oil company. Her films and commercials won many awards both in Malaysia and around the world.
Some of her films caused discussions in Malaysia. This was because they showed events and relationships that some people, especially those with very strict religious views, found unusual. Despite this, she was a very important person in a new movement of Malaysian cinema.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Yasmin was born in a place called Kampung Bukit Treh in Muar, Johor. This was on January 7, 1958. She studied politics and psychology at Newcastle University in England.
After university, she worked as a trainee banker for a short time in 1982. Then, she worked for IBM as a marketing person. At night, she also sang blues music and played the piano. Yasmin started her career in advertising as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather. In 1993, she joined Leo Burnett and later became an executive creative director.
Filmmaking and Advertising Work
Yasmin's first full-length movie was Rabun in 2003. Her film Mukhsin won an international award for best children's feature film. It also received a special mention in the children's film category.
Many of her commercials and films were shown at big film festivals. These included the Berlin, San Francisco, and Singapore festivals. Her films were also shown in a special collection at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2006.
In Singapore, Yasmin was famous for her commercials that promoted family values. These were made for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. In 2008, Yasmin was honored in the Malaysian Advertising Hall of Fame. At the time of her death, she was working on a film called "Go, Thaddeus!". It was meant to be an inspiring film for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.
Yasmin Ahmad's Passing
On Thursday, July 23, 2009, Yasmin had a stroke. She was at a meeting for a new project at Sri Pentas, TV3. She was rushed to the Damansara Specialist Hospital. There, she had brain surgery to reduce swelling.
The operation was successful, and her condition was serious but stable. Her brother-in-law said she had a stroke and bleeding in her brain. Sadly, on Saturday, July 25, 2009, Yasmin Ahmad passed away. She died at 11:25 PM.
On Sunday, July 26, 2009, Yasmin was buried. The burial took place at the USJ 22 Muslim Cemetery in Subang Jaya, Selangor. Her husband, family, friends, and many fans came to say goodbye.
Tributes and Legacy
Many people have honored Yasmin Ahmad's life and work. In 2010, a Malaysian artist named Kevin Bathman created a digital art exhibition. It was called In Her Own Words: A Celebration of Humanity and Universal Love. This exhibition used Yasmin's own words from her blog. Kevin combined them with images to create art.
The exhibition was first shown in Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. It later traveled to The Arts House, Singapore and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.
CausewayEXchange (CEX), an art program, also worked with Yasmin's sister, Orked Ahmad. In 2010, CEX showed a poster exhibition by Kevin Bathman. They also screened a collection of all the advertisements Yasmin Ahmad had made.
In 2012, CEX showed Rabun, Yasmin's first TV movie. They also launched a book called "Yasmin, How you know?" in Singapore. Both the movie screening and the books were very popular and sold out quickly.
On January 7, 2014, Google honored Yasmin. They put a special picture of her on their search engine homepage. This was the first time a Malaysian person was honored this way by Google.
In October 2014, a museum opened in Ipoh, Malaysia. It is called Yasmin at Kong Heng. The museum displays Yasmin's photographs and films. It also features artworks created by others to honor her. There are plans to create an augmented reality experience for the museum. This would use city landmarks where Yasmin filmed her movies.
Filmography
Films Directed
| Year | Title | Original title | Director | Writer |
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| 2003 | My Failing Eyesight | Rabun |  |
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| 2006 | Anxiety | Gubra | |
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| 2007 | Mukhsin | |
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| 2008 | The Convert | Muallaf | |
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| 2009 | Talentime | |
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Acting Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2003 | Min | Teacher | |
| 2004 | 15 Puasa | TV movie | |
| 2006 | Rain Dogs | ||
| 2008 | Here in My Home | Short video | |
| 2008 | Susuk | Nurse | Small appearance |
| 2009 | At the End of Daybreak |
Commercials and Short Films
- Petronas TV Commercial (for Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali & National Day)
- Yuzy (2000) Petronas Road Safety Campaign
- Vas Dentures (2000) Celcom
- The Amber Sexalogy (2006)
- Tan Hong Ming in Love (2007) Petronas Merdeka Day commercial
- Family (2008) for the Singaporean Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
- Funeral (2009) for the Singaporean Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
- Chocolate (2009) for 15Malaysia (released after her death on August 19, 2009)
Awards and Recognitions
Malaysia Video Awards
- 1999: Best Director for Forgiving Petronas commercial
- 2000: Silver Award for Best Scriptwriting for Yuzy Petronas Road Safety Campaign
- 2000: Bronze Award for Best Scriptwriting for Vas Dentures for Celcom
Malaysia Film Festival
- 2005: Most Original Story and Best Film for Sepet
- 2006: Best Screenplay and Best Film for Gubra
- 2009: Best Director for Talentime
Other Awards
- Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia's Golden Kancil Award for Best Advertising Agency (1999/2000)
- Berlin International Film Festival International Jury of Generation Kplus – Grand Prix for Best Feature Film and Special Mention (2007) for Mukhsin
- 54th Asia Pacific Film Festival Best Director (2010) for Muallaf (The Convert)
- 18th Tokyo International Film Festival Best Asian Film Award (2005) for Sepet
- Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2008 Gold Winner for Petronas advertisement Tan Hong Ming in Love
