Film Director Yasmin Ahmad slipped away.

Award-winning film director Yasmin Ahmad has passed away at 11.25 pm yesterday, 25th of July 2009. On Thursday, 23rd of July, Yasmin suffered a stroke and collapsed while attending a meeting with Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and her husband, Datuk Khalid, and Media Prima representatives at Sri Pentas, TV3. She was rushed to Damansara Specialist Hospital where she underwent a neurosurgery procedure to reduce swelling in her brain. She suffered from stroke and brain hemorrhaging. In less than 48 hours after her surgery, she succumbed to her injury and pronounced dead last night.

Yasmin Ahmad was famed for her Petronas commercials and provoked controversy with films that dealt with subjects like interracial relations and teenage angst in this conservative Muslim country. She was only 51 years old.

Her first film, Rabun was released in year 2002. Her films have won many international awards and praise from the critics and public alike. Most of her films have been screened at the Berlin, San Francisco, Singapore and Cannes.

I remember the first Yasmin Ahmad`s film i watched was Sepet where i curled up on the couch together with my family members. This movie had me all choked up and contemplating the ethnic divides and unity of Malaysians. It has a heart-wrenching thematic story lines. The next movie was Gubra. It was a more mature movie with a closer look at relationships. Gubra took the complexities of marriage and human emotions and weaved them into a masterpiece that tightens the heart of people around us. I`ve yet to watch Talentime though but very soon.

Now that she has slipped away, we have lost a great, intelligent and creative director. She has took the heart of what makes Malaysia unique and gave it back to the world through her talented film directing and her unabashed way to tackling social issues. She`s indeed the greatest gift bestowed by God to the world.

May you rest in peace, Yasmin Ahmad. We will always remember you.