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The uneasy feeling of being a stranger in your own country brings two damaged souls together in “Hail, Driver!,” a bittersweet drama about life on the social and economic margins in Kuala Lumpur. This low-key tale about an unlicensed taxi driver and a disillusioned sex worker is light on plot but rewarding as a commentary on class distinctions and cultural divides in contemporary Malaysia. Strikingly filmed in black-and-white and well performed by lead actors Amerul Affendi and Mei Fen Lim, “Hail, Driver” opened on 41 local screens on Dec. 16 and is Malaysia’s entrant in Oscar’s international feature category.

Writer-director Muzzamer Rahman began filming “Hail, Driver” in 2017. A three-year delay caused by budget problems resulted in Rahman’s horror-comedy “Takut ke Tak” beating his debut feature into Malaysian cinemas and becoming what must surely be the lengthiest production schedule of any film in the current International Oscar race. Scenes filmed...

While all the megalopolis of the world share some common features, there is something distinctly different about many Asian capitals, such as Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or even Tokyo. Apart of course from the cultural background, their architecture and structure seems to heighten the kind of paradox which comes with every urban landscape, that people live together while being apart at the same time. At least, this seems to be the core image of many features taking lace in these cities, with director Muzzamer Rahman’s “Hail, Driver!” being the latest entry in that regard. The chance encounter of two people who got lost in the maze of Kuala Lumpur is both, an urban fairy tale as well as a portrayal of loneliness and companionship in the modern city.

Hail, Driver! is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

Once, Aman (Amerul Affendi) moved to the city to pursue his dream of becoming a writer,...