If following a
true calling fulfills one's inner joy, how do you say 'no' to your own parent when he or
she decides to devote in entirety to God? How do you make sense of loss when it
feels like you're about to lose everything or every one you are left with?
'Mudita:
Selfless Joy' explores a personal journey of a son, Melvin, seeking means to
understand his parents' emotional divorce and his mother's newfound devotion.
He learns to cope with displacement and eventually, uncovers that his mother's
sacrifice of mind, body and spirit reaches out to a greater good.
Although he
couldn't necessarily accept or understand the missing logic or meaning yet, he
doesn't protest by showing a slight hint of frustration. Instead, from time to
time, he would go to his mother and help around as much as he can or soak in
her embracing energy. He stands by watching the delirious faces of followers
looking up to his mother as a source of hope and renewed faith.
Quite ironically
to him because, in his eyes, she is a mother with young children waiting at
home and had just come out from a failed relationship. In his point of view, he
feels that he needs his mother more urgently than anyone else in the temple. At
the same time, he is amazed at how this woman harmonize her divine calling and
bitter realities of life. His quiet mannerisms are deafening on screen as he
gingerly fits the puzzles in his head while breaking waves of emotions inside
him.
In one scene,
his mother recounts the moment when she asked the children if they would allow
her to carry on with the virtuous quest. They nervously quips “just do whatever
that makes you happy”. This was the turning point in the film when we see the
courage of her young children, as confused and dumbfounded as they are, being
able to come to terms with being selfless for their mother's joy in serving her
higher purpose.
The best thing
about the film is the uncut and unedited conversations between the characters.
The way that the Chan family is able to let their walls down and welcome
audience into their home is certainly endearing. Not harping too much on what
was lost or broken at the beginning, this film manages to pull out fresh
perspectives as to what Melvin can make the best out of what he still have.
This film was also screened as part of the 6th Singapore Indie Doc Fest.
Review by Haswani