Flower in the pocket

Li Ahh and Li Ohm grow up motherless. They are neglected by their father Sui, a workaholic who spends the bulk of his time mending broken mannequins in his workshop. While he shuts himself out from the world, the two brothers roam the streets, get into fights and other troubles in school but for all they want is just love and to be loved.



Liew Seng Tat's first feature is constantly, quietly, astonishing. A little film with big, deep pockets, Flower is equal parts childhood idyll, absurdist comedy, gentle social satire and family mystery.

Nominated for AAIFF08 Emerging Director Award
—Narrative Feature


Two mischievous brothers and a lost puppy; a father who returns home only late at night; a girl who pretends to be a boy. These misfits populate the wryly observed FLOWER IN THE POCKET. FLOWER IN THE POCKET represents the emergent voice of Malaysian New Wave. It is the insight into the intimate details of Malaysian everyday life that director Seng Tat Liew endeavors to bring to the screen. While inviting the audience into Lih Ahh and Lih Ohm’s world with a deliberate, wide-eyed quirkiness, the film is certainly not naïve, nor is it a children’s film. The slapstick humor mingles fluidly with naughty jokes (in particular, one outrageous scene concerning their father comes to mind). As the narrative progresses, however, what began as boys’ horseplay eventually reveals darker truths. The film’s sly wit and restrained melancholy create a touching portrait of a family doing all they can to stay afloat.

Flower In The Pocket is endearing in its many straightfaced comic moments. Anyone who’s familiar with Liew’s short films knows the kind of quirky, oftentimes whimsical humour that he’s capable of. But here, his comedy seems to have found a certain comfortable home somewhere between a more restful Stephen Chow-type of slapstick wackiness and the deadpan humour of Tsai Ming-liang. Sometimes the punchline happens off-screen and it’s the aftermath that provides a delayed but effective tickle, Liew’s very knowing wink at the audience. Even so, Liew never plays these comic scenes as obvious cues but more in a straightforward manner that is not unlike even the dramatic moments, which lends the funnier moments cohesiveness with the rest of the film rather than make them a series of gags.

Liew Seng Tat was born on 30th September 1979, in a rather notorious area called Jinjang. He is known for making dark comedy - hilarious, ridiculous, absurd and yet touching. Since his first short film was shown in the Malaysian Shorts series in the Malaysian Film Club, he had never failed to win the audience award. He hardly said a word in the first year of his life. His mother, half suspecting that he was mute and mentally-retarded, was very relieved when he finally spoke at length on his first birthday. "At least he's only mentally retarded," Mrs Liew recalled with a smile.

By Simona Cappellini