KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Before Malaysia's most notorious witch doctor was hanged in 2001 for murdering a politician, she purportedly told her executioners that she would never truly die.
A tale obviously inspired by the dark deeds of Maznah Ismail has now been brought to life in "Dukun," a horror movie for which shooting completed recently and which has become this Southeast Asian country's most eagerly anticipated entertainment project.
But whether the movie will see the light of day remains in question. The movie's release has been put on hold amid concerns that it may sensationalize real-life events and portray too much supernatural gore for audiences in this conservative, mostly Muslim society.
"In the context of the sensitivities and concerns ... we have as a result called off our plans for the general release of the film until a full review has been undertaken," said Tengku Anuar Mussaddad, executive director of ASTRO Shaw, the Malaysian company that produced "Dukun."
It is not known how long the review will take.
The movie revolves around a fictional character, Diana Dahlan, who dabbles in the occult and murders a prominent public figure whose body is found hacked into 18 pieces and buried under her kitchen sink.
Dahlan is modeled partly after Maznah, better known by her alias, Mona Fandey, who was arrested in 1993 after police discovered the dismembered body of a missing politician in a hole near her home in eastern Pahang state.
Maznah's assistant confessed to helping Maznah and her husband in the ritual killing of Mazlan Idris, a Pahang state legislature member who paid Maznah large sums of cash for spiritual intervention to advance his government career.
The trio beheaded Mazlan with an ax, skinned him and chopped his corpse into 18 parts.
Maznah, who captured national attention with the flashy outfits she wore to her court hearing, was 45 when she and her accomplices were executed in 2001.
A movie inspired by Maznah's tale seemed inevitable, to cater to local fascination with superstitious traditions that have survived Malaysia's transition from an agricultural backwater into an industrialized economic hub.
"Dukun," the Malay-language word for witch doctor, drew wide media coverage when it began shooting in July with a reported budget of 2.8 million ringgit (US$750,000, ?585,000).
The movie initially was scheduled to open in December, and its backers touted hopes for a release in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, as well as next year's Berlin Film Festival.
But in recent weeks Malaysian media have highlighted discomfort expressed by the families of both Maznah and Mazlan, including complaints that the movie's producers had not approached them before starting work on "Dukun."
"I have never asked for anyone to do a story on Mona Fandey," Maznah's stepson, Mohamad Hafizi Affandi, told The Malay Mail newspaper. "Some of my friends were extras in the movie and they asked me to join. I refused. I don't want to be seen as lending support to the film."
ASTRO Shaw's Tengku Anuar said the company has now postponed the movie's release to ensure it won't "offend public and private sensitivities," and voiced hope the movie "will not lead to confusion with any real or actual events, whether imagined or perceived."
ASTRO Shaw insists the movie is a work of fiction and "an adaptation of a courtroom drama which has a loose resemblance to a murder trial that took place several years ago."
But Maznah's influence on "Dukun" is irrefutable.
The movie's Web site features a female voice intoning "Aku takkan mati," which is Malay for "I will not die." The synopsis says Dahlan was "out shopping" when police went to her home, echoing how Maznah went on a shopping spree, buying a Mercedes-Benz and undergoing a facelift.
Speculation has mounted among movie fans that portions of "Dukun" might eventually be cut by Malaysia's government-run censorship board, which has strict regulations forbidding excessive film violence and horror.
The board has refused to comment on "Dukun," saying it has not seen the movie. But officials routinely warn they will not tolerate material that contradicts Muslim beliefs, which generally frown on traditional shamans, even though they remain popular in Malaysia's rural districts.
Dominique Hee, the movie's executive producer, said "Dukun" is now in post-production. He declined to say whether there might be reshoots to tone down the horror or reduce the similarities to Maznah's case.
On the Net:
Dukun's official Web site: http://www.dukunthemovie.com
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/ ... php?page=2
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