This is a significant moment for the country’s filmmaking scene, which has previously seen only four features at Cannes: “Tiger Stripes”, “The Tiger Factory”, “Karaoke”, and “Kaki Bakar (The Arsonist)”. “It was in the middle of the night when I got the call from my co-producer. I woke up half asleep, thinking it was just a dream,” Ananth told FMT Lifestyle. “Once I realised it was the real deal, I was shell-shocked! It was unbelievable – especially since Malaysian shorts have no track record at Cannes.” “Bleat!” centres around an elderly Malaysian-Tamil couple who discover that their goat, intended for ritual slaughter, is pregnant. The discovery sparks a crisis of faith and culture, as they struggle to choose between tradition and protecting the unborn life. Shot entirely in his hometown of Banting, Selangor, the film is deeply embedded in real places and people. “It started with a strange, sticky image: a pregnant goat. “I thought, OK, what happens when you drop that kind of wild, primal energy into a world that’s very controlled and traditional? That tension is fascinating to me,” Ananth explained. This realism extended to the cast as well, who are all Banting locals. “They weren’t acting, they were just being themselves. So was the goat,” he quipped. The film was produced by a multicultural team: Choo Mun Bel from Malaysia’s Sixtymac Pictures, who has collaborated with Ananth for over a decade; Bradley Liew from the Philippines’ Epicmedia Productions; and Dominique Welinski of DW in France. Ananth speaks highly of this cross-cultural partnership and the spirit it brought to the project. “Even though it’s a very Malaysian-Tamil story, the team didn’t treat it like something foreign or distant. They treated it with care, with pride. And I think that shows in the final film.” “Bleat!” may be Ananth’s biggest moment yet, but it’s far from his first encounter with international acclaim. His earlier short “Liar Land” received a special mention at the Locarno Film Festival, while “The House of Brick and Stone” screened at Fantasia, BiFan, and the London Short Film Festival. Meanwhile, his full-length feature “Passport” has already gained recognition: in 2023, it won the Bucheon Award at the Network of Asian Fantastic Films, and was also selected for the Talents Tokyo programme. Throughout his filmmaking journey, he has remained committed to sharing narratives rooted in the South Asian – and specifically Malaysian – experience. “These stories are often overlooked or misunderstood. But it’s not just about representation; it’s about uncovering the untold aspects of our lives,” he said. With “Bleat!”, that mission has reached a global stage, and Ananth wants the film to do more than just entertain. “I hope when people watch it, they’re not just thinking about the story – they’re thinking about themselves: about what it means to belong, and how that belonging costs a lot.” And, of course, the writer-director is eager to bring “Bleat!” back home to Malaysian audiences. “I also hope this moment says that we’re ready to tell our own stories – on our own terms.” Follow Ananth Subramaniam on Instagram.