A monumental legacy and a son’s enduring pride

When Daniel de Weldon, the son of Austrian-American sculptor Felix de Weldon, first visited Malaysia's national monument Tugu Negara in 2022, he was confronted with a significant part of his father's past. Tugu Negara, which commemorates the sacrifices made during Malaysia's struggle for independence, is a symbol of freedom celebrated on Merdeka Day.

Daniel, who resides in Los Angeles, was invited to an event in 2022 organized by the National Archives and the Austrian embassy in Malaysia. This event featured an exhibition on the history of Tugu Negara, where Daniel discovered photographs of his father, Felix, that he had never seen before. These images revealed a close friendship between his father and Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, which Daniel found overwhelming.

Felix de Weldon was also the sculptor behind the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. Tunku Abdul Rahman, who had visited the US, was inspired by this monument and commissioned Felix to create a similar monument for Malaysia. Felix sculpted another statue of Tunku Abdul Rahman at the Malaysian Parliament complex, located close to Tugu Negara.

Daniel was deeply moved by his father's relationship with Tunku, which was built on shared ideals of independence and self-governance. Felix's journey as a sculptor began at the age of six, when he encountered a sculptor at work while walking home from school in Vienna. This encounter sparked an interest that would eventually lead to Felix's worldwide recognition.

Felix passed away in 2003, but his legacy lives on through the Monumental biopic, a musical feature film being developed by Daniel, who wrote the screenplay. The film will explore Felix's life, his work on the US Marine Corps War Memorial, and his extraordinary commission to create Tugu Negara. In standing before Tugu Negara, Daniel transformed a distant chapter of his father's life into a deeply personal experience, urging Malaysians to remember and honor the sacrifices made by those who fought for independence.