Malaysian punk band Shh … Diam! (lit. shut up) is led by Faris, a charismatic trans man. He and his bandmates want to use their music to literally drown out the haters, seeing music with a message as an opportunity to silence queerphobia. In between sets at various venues large and small, Shh … Diam! lives life in notably homophobic Malaysia, and many of the members struggle to rectify the desires of their hearts with the demands of a religion they can’t escape. When they’re not traveling between gigs or hanging out after practice, the band can be seen participating in protests for democracy and against queerphobic laws enacted by the government. With Faris at the helm, the band faces joy and disappointment at the polls, and you can bet they have a new song ready for each political development.
My biggest general gripe about Queer as Punk is its almost mindless construction. There is no real narration or exposition to help viewers connect some of the dots, and the style jumps from a straight-up music documentary to a sort of “Behind the Music” mimic, to intimate moments with bandmates and their partners, to a political documentary. It left me feeling lost and desperately Googling for additional information when just a little assistance (more place names, a title card here or there, or some subtle exposition) could have kept my eyes glued to the screen. That sort of scatterbrained approach to documentary filmmaking will leave more casual viewers confused, but those well-informed about the politics and modern culture of Malaysia will likely not have as much issue. College collections serving large Asian studies and queer studies departments will get the best usage out of Queer as Punk. As for public libraries, if your patrons really like music documentaries or can’t get enough queer docs, you’ll likely see plenty of engagement. Recommended.
Why should academic libraries with Asian studies and queer studies programs consider Queer as Punk?
Queer as Punk will likely find its strongest academic audience in Asian studies and queer studies programs, particularly because the film brings together music, identity, religion, and politics through the experiences of Shh … Diam! and its members. The band’s attempts to reconcile their identities and relationships with religious and cultural expectations offer plenty of material for discussion, while their participation in protests and responses to political developments provide another avenue for examining their lives in contemporary Malaysia. For additional context, Human Rights Watch has documented discrimination, criminalization, and violence affecting LGBTQ+ people in Malaysia.
The film’s loose construction may make it more challenging for students without existing knowledge of Malaysian politics and culture, since it provides little narration or exposition to establish context. In a classroom environment, however, an instructor can provide that missing background and use the documentary as a starting point for broader discussions of queer identity, punk as protest music, activism, religion, and contemporary Malaysian culture.
Is Queer as Punk a good choice for public library film clubs and music documentary programming?
Public libraries with patrons interested in music documentaries or queer cinema are likely to see the most engagement with Queer as Punk. Shh … Diam! is an appealing subject for a music-centered program because the band views punk as more than entertainment: their songs become a way to respond directly to queerphobia and the political developments affecting their lives. The documentary also gives audiences access to the bandmates away from performances, including quieter moments with their partners and one another.
Its scatterbrained approach may be more difficult for casual viewers, particularly those unfamiliar with Malaysia, but that also gives library film clubs plenty to discuss after a screening. Conversations could focus on the effectiveness of the documentary’s shifting style, the relationship between punk and political protest, and whether the lack of exposition makes the film feel more immediate or simply makes its subjects and circumstances harder to understand.
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