Creative Corner: Bila Kami Bersatu

Reshaping conventional notions of activism through the kaleidoscope of art, our Creative Corners host a diverse range of artists, creatives and activists from the Global South. Embark with us on a journey of films, songs, live performances and art in all its vibrant manifestations as a contemporary tool of feminist activism.

Bila Kami Bersatu (When We Are One) is a 2019 documentary produced and directed by Minxi Chua and Asyraf Abdul Samad. The film tells the story of three women in the National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services, as they juggle their responsibilities as cleaners, mothers, and labour organisers fighting for better wages. Since its premiere in 2019 at Freedom Film Festival, Bila Kami Bersatu has gone on to be screened at various events, used to educate audience members on the struggles faced by hospital service staff in Malaysia. It has also been screened to other workers in the cleaning industry, as well as security guards and PPR residents, with the aim of inspiring collective labour action amongst these communities. Through the telling of real, personal stories, Bila Kami Bersatu shows documentary film’s ability to inspire and act as a tool of political advocacy.

Minxi Chua is a writer, filmmaker and activist from Kuala Lumpur. She is currently pursuing a Creative Writing Masters at Brunel University London. She has been working with the National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services in Peninsular Malaysia since 2019.