GIRL TALK
Ida: How did Ikal Mayang came to be? As in the name? It literally came to me when I was in the shower washing my hair – as all great ideas tend to! Ikal mayang is specific to long, black, wavy Asian hair. It is about the differences we all have: “Rambut sama hitam, hati lain-lain”, which means we look the same but everybody has a different story. But I thought I’d sell the word ‘ ikal’ to Yuen because I thought she might say ‘Ikal Mayang’ is too long. Yuen: And when she came to me with ‘Ikal’, I said it was too short, of course! I: ‘Ikal’ did not mean much on its own. That was when I suggested ‘Ikal Mayang’ and she loved it. Y: And that is how we came to name the film project that is Ikal Mayang, right now in its second year. I: We are Women: Girls, and we are about creating a platform to raise women’s voices and to enable them as well as younger girls. As progenitors of Ikal Mayang, it has been amazing to see it grow. It started out as a film collective last year where we got first-time directors to make films. Carmen Soo, Sofea Jane, Elaine Daly were all part of it and it is wonderful that this year sees an even bigger project with regional involvement by top women directors. ‘Unspoken Truths’ Ikal Mayang 2014 was launched on International Women’s Day with a host of other activities to mark the day. Y: What Women: Girls really is and how it started is basically how all of us just came together, as women do, using our different abilities, resources, strengths, and backgrounds to do something just because we can. I: Remember what you used to say? “Nobody did this for us. We should do it for others.” Y: Yes! I think what Ida and I share is interesting. It’s as if we are building Lego. She starts the piece and I add the next, and she adds the following and so on. While this is As part of the Women: Girls initiative for 2014, Low Ngai Yuen and Ida Nerina talk ideas and the latest Ikal Mayang
film collaboration. going on, everyone else can’t seem to keep up. We are a lot more similar than we think. I: Can’t say no to you because they are great ideas. You can’t deny great ideas. It sometimes seems like you have an idea and you throw it at me ... Do you realise that it explodes and everybody around us scrambles?” Y: You should see the WhatsApp messages we exchange. They are manic! When we start something, I know where you are going and it just rolls on from there. I’m the one floating in the clouds and she makes things really happen. I just start the flame. I: I think we are a bit of both. But Yuen is bursting with ideas. Amazing out-there kind of ideas. Things that people are thinking about but not doing. Your knack is getting the right people around you. Y: That’s true, you are only as good as your team. And I have a great one so do stay tuned for exciting updates from the Ikal Mayang film project. For more information on the Women: Girls initiative and activities, including an upcoming TEDxKLwomen talk later this year, log on to www.womengirls.org