The sudden passing of Benjamin McKay, noted critic and academic on Malaysian cinema, came as a shock to many in the arts community in Malaysia. From the Annexe Gallery, we learned that , ‘Born in Australia, Ben traced a colourful life and career that spanned the globe, starting out in the performing arts and eventually finding his niche in the world of academia and writing. Since 2005, he has lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur and embraced it as his home. Here, his film criticisms and columns in publications such as Kakiseni.com, Criticine and Off The Edge were as loved by his readers and arts practitioners as were his lectures by his many students.’

The City is Crying (for Ben)
by Jerome Kugan

On any other day, we’d look up at the sky and think
“Oh… just another shower.”
One would think, we should be used to this by now.
It happens almost everyday;
there’s nothing to it–it’s just water, the contents of
a nameless cloud, unraveling.

But not today. Today the city is crying. The city is weeping.
The streets are drenched with tears.
The white noise of the downpour can barely hide the silence.
A silence that makes everything feel
so sad and low and dim. One would think “How shameful–
the rain is trying to wash away his trace.”

But not today. Today the city cries. The city weeps.
Today, in the city, somewhere
in the deep sadness that has welled up and tumbled
out of the vastness of the sky
like gigantic teardrops, someone’s life is missing a familiar
face. Come, let me wipe away your tears.

20 July 2010

More links:
Obituary by Amir Muhammad
Benjamin McKay Facebook Memorial
Interview with Benjamin McKay
Obituary from the Annexe Gallery

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Photo from Benjamin McKay Facebook Memorial.