Yasmin Ahmad

Malaysian film director and screenwriter One of the few Malaysian directors to make a name on the world stage, Yasmin Ahmad reflected the wide ethnic and cultural diversity of her country. Part of a new generation Yasmin inspired the lives and dreams of Malaysia's young people. Her films challenged ethnic stereotypes. She was openly against any type of racism, making it her life's work to support minority rights. In one of her features film Sepet ('Slit eyes': 2004) Yasmin tackled taboo subjects such as inter-racial relations and teenage angst - about a relationship between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl thus touching the sensitive nerve of race in Malaysia. Other films include Rabun (2002), Gubra, Mukhsin, Muallaf (2008) and in her final completed film, Talentime (2009) Yasmin revisited the theme of faith, tolerance and living in a multicultural society. Born in Kampung Bukit Treh in Muar, Johor, in the family of musician father and theatre director mother, Yasmin Ahmad was educated in England and gained a degree in arts and psychology. She died after suffering a stroke and undergoing surgery for a cerebral haemorrhage.

Compiler: M. Nauman Khan