Ananth Subramaniam
2025
Malaysia
Tamil
fiction
comedy | drama | fantastic
15 minutes
Sixtymac Pictures | Idio Sync Inc | Epicmedia Productions | DW Production
When a conservative elderly Malaysian Tamil couple discovers their male goat is pregnant, they face a dilemma over its ceremonial slaughter.
Ananth Subramaniam is a Malaysian filmmaker born of Tamil descent who co-founded Idio Sync Inc, an initiative/production house created to develop Tamil culture infused stories. Ananth’s work often explores the subject of his ancestral identity and family within the context of a multi-layered genre. He received an MA in filmmaking from Kingston University London. He was selected to participate in the 2020 Locarno Open Doors program and Southeast Asian Film Lab. His recent filmmaking credits include " The House of Brick and Stone '' which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival & BIFAN and Liar Land which won a Special Mention Prize at the Locarno Film Festival. He is currently working on his debut feature film “ The Passport ” with the support from Berlinale's Talents Tokyo, Cine Qua Non Lab, SGIFF's Asian Producers Network, and Full Circle Lab. The project received Bucheon Award at BIFAN NAFF Project Market, Grand Prize Award at BAFF SEAPITCH, and has just recently been invited to Asia TV & Forum Market and Focus Asia Industry Market at Far East Film Festival Udine, Italy.
- Liar Land (2019)
- The House of Brick and Stone (2022)
With BLEAT!, Ananth Subramaniam set out to explore the overwhelming sense of inevitability he and his siblings experienced growing up within the strict boundaries of Tamil culture in Malaysia. At the heart of the film lies a reflection on the inner turmoil of puberty and identity—stages of life that, in his community, are often overshadowed by rigid expectations and societal pressures. For many young adults, there is little room for self-discovery when tradition dictates every aspect of life.
Rather than opposing tradition, Ananth questions its purpose when it no longer fosters pride, belonging, or personal freedom. His film confronts the power structures—those gatekeepers of culture—who, across generations, have reshaped customs to suit their own authority. Whether patriarchal or matriarchal, these forces continue to uphold practices like caste-based marriage or stigmatizing widows—practices that evolve but never seem to liberate.
Ananth’s storytelling is deeply personal, marked by both humour and heartbreak. He reflects on the irony of a small, marginalized community, representing just six percent of Malaysia’s population, investing so much energy into regulating its own members, rather than protecting and uplifting them. In Bleat!, the absurdity of daily life becomes a mirror for deeper truths—revealing the surreal, contradictory nature of tradition when wielded as control.
By leaning into satire and sensory storytelling, Ananth captures the chaotic beauty of his culture—colourful, oppressive, hilarious, and heartbreaking all at once. Through BLEAT!, he hopes to peel back the facade of cultural norms and invite reflection, laughter, and perhaps even healing.
BLEAT! is one of the most original, funny, and absurd films we've had the chance to see. A goat, meant for sacrifice, suddenly becoming pregnant—that alone is a fascinating concept. Through comedy, Ananth Subramaniam goes far beyond a quirky premise, delving into themes of a couple, a village, a society, precariousness, and tradition. A film as burlesque as it is striking, challenging our certainties and beliefs with remarkable subtlety.
