Four ‘Lost’ Films Returned to Legendary Actress Sarimah

PETALING JAYA: The National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and the communications ministry have successfully helped legendary actress Sarimah Ahmad regain the original tapes of four of her films.

A 37-Year-Old Agreement

According to Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching, the original tapes of the films – “Dia Ibuku”, “Jejak Bertapak”, “Kabus Tengah Hari” and “Detik 12 Malam” – were taken from the 83-year-old under a screening agreement with a certain party in 1989.

Restoration Efforts

Teo said the company also handed over copies of the films in hard disk drive (HDD) format to Finas for restoration purposes.

Preserving the Country’s Artistic Heritage

“This enables copies of the films to be given to Sarimah as part of efforts to restore the country’s artistic heritage,” she told reporters at Sarimah’s daughter’s residence here today.

A Call for Support

Sarimah had previously called on a well-known film producer to return the original tapes of four of her films that were “stolen” from her 37 years ago.

A Year-Long Negotiation

Finas CEO Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib explained that discussions to retrieve the original tapes of Sarimah’s films lasted for almost a year before the party involved finally agreed to return them to the actress.

A Symbol of Appreciation

Teo was speaking at the Finas Ziarah Seni Madani programme, during which she also presented Sarimah, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2022, with cash donations and basic necessities.

Ramadan and International Women’s Day

She said Sarimah was the first recipient of the donations this year in conjunction with Ramadan and International Women’s Day.

A Programme for 100 Recipients

“We also want to give our highest appreciation and recognition to local artistes and legends such as Sarimah,” Teo said, adding that the programme will help 100 recipients this year.

Conclusion

The return of the original tapes of Sarimah’s films is a significant milestone in preserving the country’s artistic heritage. It is a testament to the efforts of Finas and the communications ministry to support local artistes and legends like Sarimah.

FAQs

Q: What were the four films returned to Sarimah?
A: The four films are “Dia Ibuku”, “Jejak Bertapak”, “Kabus Tengah Hari” and “Detik 12 Malam”.

Q: How long did it take to retrieve the original tapes?
A: It took almost a year of negotiations before the party involved agreed to return the original tapes to Sarimah.

Q: What is the purpose of the Finas Ziarah Seni Madani programme?
A: The programme aims to support local artistes and legends like Sarimah and provide them with cash donations and basic necessities.

Q: How many recipients will the programme help this year?
A: The programme will help 100 recipients this year.