Flower in the Pocket 2007

Two small Chinese Malaysian boys are the captivating protagonists of this bittersweet slice of life. Motherless Ma Li Ahh and Ma Li Ohm appear to be self-sufficient: they wake and dress themselves, turn up to school, take some very circuitous routes home, make dinner, and rub along very happily without adult supervision. Language problems make school difficult – Li Ohm can barely speak Malay – and they are confused by an older Muslim child who befriends them, but nothing ruffles them especially. It’s not until they become passionately attached to a lost puppy that their young father, taciturn and barely present, sees past his own loneliness and begins to comprehend theirs. Flower in the Pocket celebrates the infectious vitality of these spirited boys and delivers its lesson in love lightly. — BG.
“A little film with big, deep pockets, Flower is equal parts childhood idyll, absurdist comedy, gentle social satire and family mystery.“ — Tony Rayns