Disenfranchised arts and cultural heritage: What can film do? [Pemuliharaan warisan terpinggir: Menanggap peranan medium sinema]

The practices of preserving and restoring arts and cultural heritage associated with any ethnic community in malaysia demonstrate the on-going process of consolidating the multiethnic identity of the malaysian society. such practices are inevitably linked to the impact of the phenomenon known as ‘cultural globalisation’ which apparently has the potential to overwhelm indigenous cultural traditions into something inconsequential in the face of modernisation. film has the capacity to mould the imagination of the society so that it can begin to understand and appreciate its cultural heritage and perhaps even more important,to sustain this awareness in a changing nation. therefore,arts and cultural intellectuals must assume this critical role in stemming the global tide of cultural amnesia. using edward said’s (1993) concept of ‘the voyage in’,this article examines the ontological struggle of malay arts and cultural heritage campaigners in two short films,namely,zaleha ayam patah (2005) and wayang (2007),where both respectively paid homage to the ‘forgotten’ popular malay performances,the zapin (a dance routine) and wayang kulit (shadow play). the critical discourse analysis of these works laid bare the significance of education and the edification of the younger generation of malaysian as the strategy to reclaim and preserve an increasingly disenfranchised malay arts and cultural heritage. © 2016,universiti kebangsaan malaysia press. all rights reserved.