Tan reveals he has always wanted to make a sci-fi film set in the near future. “Hawa was set in a post-apocalyptic world of zombies but The Masseuse is in a way more scientific. We also thought it would be cool to retain retro and contemporary elements, with a mixture of technology and sci-fi elements to build the story.”

At the end of the day, what is most important is the human factor. “We wanted to draw out human elements from both the human and the droid. The latter is not fully robotic so she has a human touch and even some human thoughts.”

Inspiration was his appreciation for sci-fi stories. “I’ve always been a person who aims to bring a story depicting normal humans facing abnormal adversities on screen. Even in Hawa, the concept was to show how normal Malaysian children would possibly live and react when faced with challenges in the future. In The Masseuse, I wanted to explore the emotional elements of humans and robots with the themes of love, hate, happiness, sadness and reluctance.”

The recent premiere was very timely, with moviegoers still reeling from the recent release of the similarly themed Blade Runner 2049.

“Blade Runner was definitely one of the films that inspired me, as did the Star Wars and Alien franchises, movies from the Seventies through to the Nineties, which was the golden era of science fiction in cinema,” he notes. “We used Blade Runner as our reference for some scenes – and (Hong Kong auteur) Wong Kar Wai films as well. It was quite cool to have these elements mixed together.”

His favourite directors include the aforementioned Wong, Ridley Scott (the director of the first Blade Runner), the Coen brothers, Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee. “For me, filmmaking is always down to two parts: The story and the human emotions.”

“When you look at films by Scott, Spielberg and JJ Abrams, although they are set in a sci-fi world where everything is very futuristic with a lot of visual effects, the core value always goes back to mankind and human relationships. That’s what we wanted to explore.”

To further enrich knowledge of his craft, Tan watches plenty of independent movies from the West and the East. “That’s something we can achieve in terms of practicality. Sundance Festival films set in an ordinary world but injected with scientific elements, and TV shows like Black Mirror.”

In terms of Malaysian filmmakers, Tan is a huge fan of the late Yasmin Ahmad. “What I admire most about Yasmin was the whole genre she set up. Everyone followed her lead in heart-warming commercials and moving family stories. She was the first to move in that direction.”

He also cites Ho Yuhang, Tan Chui Mui and James Lee as pioneers of independent filmmaking in Malaysia. “I really admire how, in their early days, they could make feature films with probably just a three-man crew: a director, a cameraman and an actor. There was nothing fancy – everything was distilled to the story itself and those films won awards around the world. That’s inspiring.”

Tan has learned from experience the importance of working with the right mind set. “For years, we just wanted to win. Whatever we tried to structure or craft were specifically to win BMW Shorties,” he recalls. “Looking back, it limited our creativity in a way. For Hawa, we didn’t have the same intention. We had a story but not done specifically for BMW Shorties. It was only later that we thought it might suit the competition and we submitted it. I believe the change of mentality played a part in us finally winning.”

“Besides creativity, filmmaking is about communication. Even if you had the greatest vision, if you can’t communicate with your team, they won’t be able to help you execute what’s in your mind.”

Then there is the filmmaker’s ability to tell a story. “Often we have very good ideas but when we put them on paper and then translate the words into visuals, the process could change a lot of things. As a filmmaker, you need to have the ability to translate what’s in your head from its original concept all the way to the final outcome.”

He believes BMW Shorties does play an important role in shaping the local film industry. “It’s the biggest and longest-running short film competition in Malaysia. Look at the filmmakers they have unearthed: Quek Shio Chuan, Chua Dick Woei, Shanjhey Kumar and Brandon Loh. They all have very successful careers now.”

According to Tan, this platform was perhaps even more important back when the internet was not as advanced as it is today. “It was, and still is, a great way for young filmmakers to showcase their work. The funding will help them to shape a well-crafted film and push them to an international level.”

He plans to turn Hawa and The Masseuse into full-length feature films. “I’m already developing the script for Hawa but I expect it to be a long journey.”

But one that he is more than happy to take.