ABSTRACT
Visual activism can help to shape and transform national identity and also intensify nationalism through the exercise of dialogue on the portrayed socio-economic and political struggles. This chapter examines the role played by activists in the shaping of national identity through producing social justice films, specifically documentary films, for public engagement and action in Malaysia. The chapter shows the potential of visual culture in film as a powerful social medium in the representation of national struggles and the shaping of public opinion about issues in the country. Selected films produced for the FreedomFilmFest, a reputable annual human rights film festival in Malaysia, were analysed. The analysis includes interviews with the activists, the organiser of the festival, the panel of judges, and the writer’s personal observations from the perspective of being the producer of these films. As these films are screened nationwide, at international film festivals, and are also available online, the chapter argues that the activists’ visual advocacy has a significant impact in intensifying nationalistic identity and sentiment and mobilising social and political change, despite the country’s strict censorship and control of the media.
