Azlan Som on finding clarity in the abstract for ADFEST

What central idea or moment gave rise to the story in RINTIK?

The story of RINTIK was born from a quiet moment watching rain fall outside my home, while thinking about my late dad's last moment before he passed away. That image always lingered.

The central idea grew from the questions: What if every raindrop carried a memory that we were not ready to face? Or are we trying to wash it away? That became the emotional spine of the film.

With a career already spanning directing, writing, and producing, and a focus on psychological and societal themes, what inspired you to create RINTIK, and how does it reflect your passion for conceptual storytelling?

At the moment creatively, I just wanted to focus more on writing and directing. 

In terms of creating, I have always been drawn to the space between the conscious and the subconscious, how memory, guilt, and unspoken truths shape our lives as individuals. 

I have always been drawn to the space between the conscious and the subconscious.

RINTIK reflects that. It is not just a narrative. I wanted to create something emotionally immersive, where symbolism and sensory triggers like rain, sound, and silence do as much storytelling as the dialogue.

It is an extension of how I see cinema, not just as entertainment, but as a tool to surface what is buried inside us.

As someone dedicated to pushing the boundaries of Malaysian cinema, what challenges did you face during the production of RINTIK, and how did you overcome them?

One major challenge was balancing the abstract with clarity. So, the team and I had to constantly ask ourselves: Is this emotionally clear, even if it is not literally explained?

On a practical level, working with limited resources pushed us to be more creative. Repurposing locations and imitating natural elements like rain was quite a challenge. We also let imperfections become part of the visual language.

The team’s dedication was everything.

How does RINTIK embody your interpretation of the theme "COLLiDE"?

RINTIK is essentially a collision of timelines, truths, and emotional realities.

It explores what happens when the past refuses to stay buried and memory collides with the present.

Working with limited resources pushed us to be more creative.

I wanted the collision to feel internal, almost invisible, but very real, because those are the ones that haunt us the most.

What was your process for developing the script and visual tone of the film?

First, I constructed a story that leaned into memories and emotion rather than exposition, so that I could play around with the non-linear narrative.

Visually, we aimed for a dreamlike tone with muted colours, so that every frame felt like a memory on the edge of fading.

Above: Som onstage at the ADFEST Fabulous Five screening and Q&A.

How did you cast and work with your actors to bring psychological depth to the characters?

We had a few conversations before we even touched the script. We talked about our personal experiences with our parents, families, and relationships.

I asked the actors to bring personal memories into their performances, not to act but to recall. I tried to build emotional timelines for each character, even if they were not shown on screen.

Sometimes the best takes were when they said nothing, just felt.

By the way, I am so lucky to have Azman Hassan and Mia Sabrina in the film. They are both wonderful actors.

Were there specific stylistic elements you used to reinforce the societal commentary in the film?

I hope so. The use of confined spaces and repetitive rain sounds was deliberate. I hope it mirrors the emotional constraints society often puts on individuals, especially when it comes to grief.

I asked the actors to bring personal memories into their performances, not to act but to recall.

In my discussion with Ven Soma, the cinematographer, we agreed the visuals had to suggest the idea of dualities. All the elements, from nature, performance, expression, and motion within the frame, were left to linger, allowing multiple ideas and feelings for anyone to experience individually, without the need to force feed any answers.

What kind of emotional or intellectual impact were you aiming for with audiences?

I wanted the audience to leave with a sense of unease, but a reflective one. RINTIK is meant to sit with you after the credits roll.

I wanted people to think about their own emotional baggage and confront what they have buried.

The goal was not just to tell a story, but to trigger something inside and turn observation into introspection.