I am optimistic and sentimental to the point of being annoying, especially to people who think that being cynical and cold is cool. Everyday, I thank… - Yasmin Ahmad

There is something very important we have to realize and understand from Yasmin's commercials; something that reminds us that we're actually made of the same blood. We are all the same: boy or girl, women or men, women's rights or men's rights. There's no difference; ultimately we're all human and we all have rights. Her commercials allow us to reflect on that common ground.

A filmmaker who could take on serious topics such as racism and intolerance with wit, intelligence and humour, who documented and celebrated Malaysian multiculturalism, exploring its taboos with compassion.

Ahmad's films are deeply inspired by the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu and display scenes of everyday life with a depth of emotion. The Yasmin Ahmad retrospective was a unique opportunity for the people of Hawaii to hear stories from a part of the world that often goes underreported here in the west.