Rahmah Pauzi acknowledges hope through her work

Through her work, Rahmah Pauzi documents the promises of others, as a reminder of the hope that's there.

Growing up in a middle-class family, Rahmah Pauzi remembers being surrounded by books and quickly outgrowing what would be considered children’s books. “I kind of got over Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and such quite fast, and started picking up on non-fiction material. When I was seven or eight, I began reading newspapers, and the headlines really captivated me,” reveals the eldest of two children.

While thrilled to be able to relate to adults and understand the goings-on of the time, Rahmah also realised the power of media. “I started noticing how accessible and influential newspapers can be. That was also when I realised that real life can sometimes be even more dramatic than fairy tales and fiction,” she shares.

And it’s this revelation that made her want to pursue journalism. “I was like, ‘yeah, I want to be a journalist,’ because I felt like if I could contribute to a newspaper, maybe I can change the world, or at least incite some emotions, or share different points of views that others can relate to,” Rahmah recounts. Thus, her ambition grew from there, albeit it took a slightly different spin.

Also read: 6 Malaysian female actors and filmmakers who are making waves internationally

Above Rahmah Pauzi has worked as a journalist in New York, a producer in Washington D.C., a theatrical performer in Japan and Belgium, and an editorial strategist here

Rahmah Pauzi has worked as a journalist in New York, a producer in Washington D.C., a theatrical performer in Japan and Belgium, and an editorial strategist here

1 / 1

Having gotten a scholarship to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Rahmah made a new discovery using another medium—photos and videos—to express the realities of people. She then went on to complete a master’s degree from New York University in documentary.

“I felt like video was more appealing; there’s something about film that makes it more easily relatable, and since then, I wanted to be a documentary filmmaker and a video journalist,” she says.

Since then, Rahmah has gone on to cover the Ukraine refugee crisis, was a fellow under Mehdi Hasan at Al Jazeera, and did some work with CNN—a short documentary on the Clinton-Trump presidential race. “In a way, as a non-American, I’m glad I managed to translate other people’s emotions and feelings using these mediums,” she adds.

What drives her to produce these works are essentially the individuals behind the stories. “I enjoy discovering how people view their world—I generally want to find out the circumstances they came from, the decisions that led to them being on their path, what have they lost in between, and what do they make out of it?” Rahmah shares.

Don't miss: How overseas Asians are fighting racism with food

“I think there’s something so melancholic and human about broken promises, ideals, and how history shapes us. So, a lot of my work revolves around stories of displacement, migration, crossing borders, and fiction versus non-fiction.” Take, for example, the film that she did with BFM, Bola Impian, which centres around a kid who was promised that he was going to play football for the national team. But can he really get there? That is another question. She says, “People are told they can do and achieve many things, but the moment you can’t, how do you deal with that? Then I would stretch the discussion further into the idea of nation, identity building, politics, and essentially broken promises—a sense of displacement, or heartbreak.”

Rahmah said the main reason she is fascinated with promises is because of hope. In capturing the story of those who have been let down, she in a way preserves their promise. “Deep down, I want to believe too, and root for them. Even if their promise is irrational or not fulfilled, it’s not lost in their hearts, and so by me documenting it, others can know that it was there to begin with,” she reasons.

Now, she has ventured into a new form of art as well, to share ideas close to her. She credits Mark Teh of The Five Arts Centre for giving her the push towards performing live on stage. In the theatre production of A Notional History, she teams up with Tatler’s AMI honouree Fahmi Reza and others to investigate and speculate the possible histories for a different Malaysia, intersecting the personal, the national and the notional. She will be touring with the rest of the team to other countries to present the evocative and contemplative performance.

NOW READ

7 women who have helped advance women through history to today

5 award-wining films by young Asian directors to watch

How Malaysian filmmaker Jared Lee plans to use his success for the local content creator community