‘Dress Up’: a British-M’sian comedy that doesn’t fit the mould

2026-03-13 - 23:14

The short film ‘Dress Up’ marks the directorial debut of British-Malaysian Chinese actor and filmmaker Sara Chia-Jewell. (Desa Film pic) KUALA LUMPUR: As a British-Malaysian Chinese filmmaker and actor, Sara Chia-Jewell has often been questioned about her heritage and ethnicity. Due to her British-Asian background, the Kuala Lumpur-born actress often defies easy description, even as many people seem intent on categorising her identity neatly into a box. This, however, often proved challenging during film castings, where those calling the shots had fixed ideas on how certain roles should look. Today, the actress has shaped her experiences into art by creating “Dress Up”, a short surreal comedy film exploring modern-day expectations of identity and belonging. “I made this film to question how and where mixed-race individuals, like myself, are represented in the world,” Chia-Jewell told FMT Lifestyle. “Sometimes, it’s like we only exist through someone else’s lens. A lot of frustration comes from never being ‘enough’: you’re always told you’re not British enough, not Malaysian enough, not Chinese enough. And that just feels rigid and diminutive.” ‘Dress Up’ explores the themes of representation and belonging. (Desa Films pic) Chia-Jewell has slowly made a name for herself in the film industry: her animated film, “Cycling with Molly”, premiered at the Encounters Film Festival 2021, winning a “Special Mention” and the Aardman Academy Prize. She names “everyone from Yasmin Ahmad to Will Ferrell” as her filmmaking influences. While she now resides in London, she makes frequent visits back to Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh, and adores a good plate of char kuay teow or popiah. She hopes to one day make a film in her birth country. Chia-Jewell’s stage credits include “Worth” and “Dogeaters”, while her voice acting can be heard in video games such as “Wuthering Waves” and “Dragon’s Dogma II”. A behind-the-scenes shot from the production of ‘Dress Up’. (Chia-Jewell pic) The eight-minute comedy centres on Cherry (played by Chia-Jewell) a mixed-race woman who applies to be a costume wearer at a costume shop. Complications arise when it turns out that Cherry cannot be categorised as any of the “right” people meant to wear a particular costume. “You just look like everyone... and no one at the same time,” the shop owner muses. The film was shot during the pandemic in 2021. While pandemic restrictions posed a challenge, it also helped the project come together, as many of her team members were free to work on it. Chia-Jewell recalled cycling across London the day before filming to administer Covid tests to the cast and crew at their homes, meeting some of them for the first time while swabbing their noses! Many of the film’s lines, comedic as they may be, are based on her actual experiences. “Dress-Up” premiered at Urbanworld Film Festival 2022, and won Best Arthouse Film and Outstanding Performance Awards at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival the same year. Actor Tim Downie of ‘Paddington’ and ‘The King’s Speech’ plays Julian in the comedy ‘Dress Up’. (Tim Downie pic) The film is currently showing for free on Omeleto, a popular YouTube channel and online platform specialising in curated, award-winning short films. This is one of the largest global platforms for short films, with some Omeleto films receiving major awards and Oscar nominations. Chia-Jewell hopes the film will spark questions on cultural representation in this day and age, as well as challenge misconceptions about identity and belonging. While the growing emphasis on representation is encouraging, the actress hopes audiences will also consider who is being represented, as well as all those whose identities still fall through the cracks. “We live in a world that loves labels. But it’s so reductive. I think many of us have some aspect where we don’t simply fit in a box. As a Malaysian, for example, our culture is so rich and so diverse, it’s hard to explain it simply to someone who’s never met one,” she said. “Hopefully, the film will encourage us to think about how we might label or judge others, and encourage us to develop more empathy for each other.” “Dress Up”, Chia-Jewell’s directorial debut, is produced by Desa Films and supported by MixedRaceFaces and MilkTea Films. Watch ‘Dress Up’ on Omeleto’s YouTube channel.