Earlier in April, the Malaysian-Tamil short film “Bleat! (கத்து!)” made history as the first Malaysian short film to compete in the Critics’ Week section at the Cannes Film Festival. A month later, the project achieved another milestone after it won the Queer Palm Award.
“Bleat!” is a Malaysian-French-Filipino comedic drama short film directed and written by Malaysian filmmaker Ananth Subramaniam. The movie tells the story of an elderly Malaysian-Tamil couple who discovers their male goat is pregnant. As the goat was raised for a ceremonial slaughter, the couple faces the dilemma of proceeding with the ritual or risking divine consequences.
On 24th May 2025, the 2025 Cannes Film Festival closed out and awarded the winning movies of the year. “Bleat!” won the Queer Palm award under the short film category, making history as the first Malaysian short film to win the award. The Queer Palm is an independently sponsored prize for selected LGBT-relevant films in the Cannes Film Festival. The award recognises films for their treatment of LGBT themes.
Upon winning the award, Director Ananth Subramaniam shared a touching speech with the crowd. He said, “ There are some in the older generation who are so oblivious to change. Even when the change hits them right in the face, they feel the need to ignore it. But tonight, in this space, among you, I feel the opposite. I feel seen. I feel our stories are being heard, our truths acknowledged, and our joys celebrated.”
Ananth’s speech continues, “Bleat! was born out of defiance, but it grew in tenderness. It’s a film about the voice that breaks the silence, even when it trembles. About bodies that don’t conform but still dance. About queerness not just as identity, but as resistance and reinvention.” Ending his speech, he said, “To the Queer Palm jury — thank you for holding space for films that don’t ask for permission. And to the older generation, may you someday listen, not to correct, but to understand.”
The comments were filled with congratulations from local and international movie buffs. We would also like to congratulate Ananth and the “Bleat!” team for their historic win. May this be the first award of many to come!
Check out the official trailer for “Bleat!” below:
Sources: China Press, Instagram (1)(2)
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