audience. Film Gubra, according to Dr. Norman, have propelled the director to the forefront of contemporary Malaysian cinema and simultaneously displayed the cinematic vision of ‘art film.' Art film in typical, draws on the connection between stylistic appeal and the author-centred narration strategy, as Professor David Bordwell and Dr. Kristin Thompson in 2010, reiterate that many art filmmaking movements engaged with the social and political upheavals of the era. In brief, Gubra - the sequel to Sepet and is set a few years after the initial love story of Orked and Jason - portrays the lives of two conventional families; both are forced to adapt to change in the face of adversity. In specific, this film portrays the life of sex workers (character of Temah and Kiah) and a bilal family in the same neighbourhood. Discussions on religion in this film are articulated through the contestation of the Malay-Muslim identity (for example, the events about the bilal and the ‘untouchable’ subject matters of a dog and a sex worker). A recent research conducted by Suria Hani A.Rahman in 2019 found that these Malaysian art films articulate that religion in general (and Islam in particular) is a manifestation of the specific conditions of a Malaysian multi-cultural society. From a gender discourse point of view, Gubra problematises women’s position within the modern patriarchal society. Although Temah is portrayed as a single mother, who works as a sex worker (together with Kiah), the plot reflects women’s perspectives within their confined universe. On the contrary, their neighbours – the bilal and his family – are established in the role of ‘helpers’ that provide comfort to Temah, her son, and Kiah in their quest for love and happiness. Conclusion Narratively, Gubra reframe anxiety over Malay-Muslim sensitivities (i.e. race, religion and gender within a multicultural Malaysian society). The film challenges taboo subject in Malaysian society – e.g. patriarchal/domestic abuse and inter-ethnic relationships. As the above analyses have shown, the art film by Yasmin Ahmad mobilises Islam to execute a critique of Malaysian society and its inequality and suppression of women both in family and society. Therefore, it is worth to underline that she can be considered an Islamic director despited all the criticism from conservatives.
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