To mark Malaysia’s National Day and Astro operating in Malaysia for 25 years, the satellite television has launched Astro 25 on Channel 100 (Astro TV, On Demand and Astro GO).
In a virtual press conference today (Aug 16), it was revealed that the channel – available from today until Oct 3 – will showcase “the best of Malaysian and Asian entertainment, premieres, blockbuster hits and new documentaries”.
Henry Tan, Astro’s group chief executive officer, said: “It’s a very special Merdeka and National Day for us this year, and our theme, #KitaTeguhBersama means we’re stronger and better together.
“(The theme) reflects the best of what we have seen in Malaysians and continues to be the common value we need for us to unite, recover and grow through these times.
“Astro is 25 years young this year and we will continue to provide the best mix of content. We will also raise the bar for local original content, and live signatures to further delight Malaysians.”
Besides box office hits like Ola Bola, The Journey, Paskal, Polis Evo and Hantu Kak Limah on this special channel, there are also new content like documentaries that capture Malaysian stories.
We Are No Different (Sept 13, 9pm) is produced by Chiu Keng Guan. It tells the story of families who have adopted children from other races.
Chiu explained what inspired him to produce the documentary: “When I was growing up, I saw a lot of families with adopted children. Their relationships really touched me because they are not tied by blood, but are bound by a love that truly conquers all differences.
“I hope viewers feel equally touched when they watch the documentary, and realise that all human beings are related through our emotions, sympathy, etc, regardless of race and culture.”
According to Chiu, the production took about two years to complete. The production team really wanted to detail the storyline first, with focus falling on different families and stories.
Meanwhile Tanah Tumpahnya Darah Kita (Sept 16, 9pm) is described as “more than just a docu-story about the vets who served the nation during the Daururat and Konfrantasi periods of our country".
Five filmmakers, animators and visual artist Red Hongyi worked together to complete the documentary during the pandemic.
Alvin Teoh, chief creative officer of Naga DDB Tribal, that produced Tanah Tumpahnya Darah Kita shared at this virtual meet: “This docu-story was years in the making. I was inspired by stories from my father, an artillery officer, who served side by side with soldiers of all creeds and colours during the Daururat and Konfrantasi periods of our history.
“I am indebted to all involved for bringing to life these personal stories of a remarkable group of men and women from every ethnicity who came together as ‘kita’ to win us the freedom we enjoy today.”
For more information, visit www.astro.com.my/bettertogether
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