Discoveries from Singapore World Cinema

A woman has bigger plans for the construction worker whose turtle she agrees to buy.

Middle-aged Metal manages a laundry shop. He grows weary of domineering over his weak and timid wife Fendie, as he becomes infatuated with a mysterious young customer, Pingmei, who runs a home-based massage business. Impressed with Pingmei’s massage strength and dexterity, Metal intimidates his wife to join and train for a women’s arm-wrestling contest. Fendie develops an obsession in winning the contest and the tables turn when her strength surpasses Metal.

Haqim's life is at a standstill, having lost his girlfriend to his best pal. A chance encounter with the sensual Japanese girl Midori, rekindles his faith in love. Their growing passion takes on a sinister twist, when strange incidents befall those close to him. This forces Haqim to grapple with the truth that Midori's love comes at a deadly price. Meaning 'soul' in Japanese, KONPAKU challenges the concept of love, within the confines of one's faith and sexuality.

Fatima lives with her mother, working with her as a seamstress. Disappointed by her mother’s gambling addiction, she decides to work as a singer at a nightclub. There, Fatima meets Abdullah, a businessman whose wife, Endon, constantly mocks and humiliates him. Abdullah soon falls in love with Fatima and they begin an affair. However, Abdullah’s colleague is also smitten with her, and when Endon finds out about her husband’s relationship, she plots with his colleague to expose the affair. It is the first Malay film helmed by a Singaporean Malay under the Malay Film Productions, Shaw Brothers. Made in 1952, the musical drama witnesses an abusive relationship that results in an extra marital affair.

Two cousins, Farah and Ratna, in their 20s, meet with an Ustaz from their past whom they had their teenage crush on, when he now returns, years later, as their Arabic language teacher. As they learn the Arabic language, they also learn to re-examine their life values. The Ustaz will also ultimately teach them and others a few things about life as Muslims here prepare for the 2021 Haj season.

Adelene Koh, one of the few, if not the only, local hand bookbinders in Singapore. In her words, “Making books is an art. Nothing beats holding a book in your hand, feeling its cover, turning its pages and even smelling the paper. When you write or draw into a journal, it is forever and leaves your touch in it. When you have a book that is handmade, you know that you are holding something that is made, with heart and soul, by a bookbinder.”

Spurred by the sudden death of their friend, three senior citizens attempt to break out of their nursing home to attend a rock concert.

A filmmaker investigates surveillance footage of workers leaving Chinese factories from a ‘cinematic point of view’, alongside evolving depiction of workers in Euro-American and Chinese cinema spanning a century.

An alien arrives on Earth on a quest to find assistance to rebuild his home. Under dissociated instruction of his spaceship, he makes a stopover at a construction site in Vietnam, where the biggest temple of the world is being built. In disguise, the alien encounters a reverent worshipper, a cynical construction worker and a mysterious medium. As the group performs a spirit summoning ceremony, the alien observes these individuals exchanging their different ideas of home.

How does one choose between being morally right but legally wrong? When Desmond, a police inspector is presented with the pressing problem of saving a little girl from death, he has to make one of the toughest choices in his life. Does he break the law to save her or does he allow her to die as it may be God's will?

A young woman, burdened by work and her father’s declining health, is forced to confront the sacrifices he made for the family when he, despite his debilitating conditions, insists on fulfilling a decade-long promise—a family trip to Japan.

In Singapore, politics is seen as a cautious dance. However, in this lively film, the city becomes a vibrant street parade filled with pop culture, karaoke and colour.

Kipas Hikmat is about the state of Damascus and Basyrah. Prince of Damascus wants to conquer Basyrah but at the same time he dedicated his identity concealed from Basyrah population. On a day in urban commotion Basyrah, Princess Norain helped Prince of murdered by Karim, Prime Minister Basyrah very nasty. His Majesty the King to conquer the prince Basyrah but his heart was overcome by the Princess Royal Norain. Karim wants to have "fans Wisdom" of the King, with a fan that he can seize the King Basyrah and at the same time Karim wants to marry Princess Norain and forced to marry their prince Basyrah. When Karim has Hikmat fans he became angry.

In the middle of the night, a woman drags a huge heavy bag on the street. The content of her bag is a mystery.

Evan (played by Shawn Thia) and Sarah (played by Xenia Tan) enlist into the Institute of Sustainable Population, a governmental facility that assigns all conscripts a spouse as a drastic measure to increase the country’s population. They both hope to make the best out of their situations, albeit in polar opposite ways. Evan tries to game the system for his benefit, whereas Sarah works towards an honest living when their paths eventually cross - for the worse.

A family trip across the American West becomes an essay film about nuclear threats past and present. The apocalypse is omnipresent, and the journey shows that destruction has long since become inscribed into the landscape and history of the country.

Jane is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she tries her best to cope. She starts by recording the most important moments in her life, hoping she will always remember the things that should not be forgotten. She chooses to stay home and her daughter, Natalie, employs a full time caregiver to take care of her while she goes off to work. Days pass, and Alzheimer’s progresses. Jane’s condition deteriorates. She starts to forget some words, and then completely forgets the journal and making entries. She starts to forget her only daughter. Natalie desperately tries to hold on to the memories as they fade from Jane’s mind. What was once a shared memory now only belongs to Natalie.

Son of Satan is a Malay film published in Malaysia in 1974 Movies Son of Satan published in any format without the color white. This film was directed by director Omar Rojik.

Micheal is bullied in school until one day when he seeks vengeance.

Inked delves into the life of a former drug abuser, marked by two convictions before reaching a turning point in his life. Shahrom reflects on his bitter past, which began in his youth when he was first introduced to drugs. Through his story, we uncover the truth that led him down this destructive path that intertwines with his profound love for music and art. Told with raw honesty, his story serves as an inspiration for those battling addictions.

1955 / Kasih Menumpang / Loving Another / L. Krishnan / Keris, Shah Film

Kickers is a coming-of-age film about Natasha, and her attempts in salvaging a decaying friendship with her childhood buddy. As life gets in its way, priorities change, and paths diverge. The film tugs at the wistfulness of teenagehood and the inevitability of growing up and letting go.

Based on a story by the 19th century Greek writer Lafcadio Hearn, who settled in Japan as Koizumi Yakumo, this film is a parable about how man is a creature that perpetually cannot see beyond his own reflection.

In Singapore, executions take place at dawn. Years after her brother’s death sentencing for drug trafficking, a sister duo continues their early-morning journeys, carrying the quiet aftermath of a punishment the city no longer sees.

Amran (Aziz Jaafar) is a fugitive on the run after being implicated in the activities of a crime syndicate. He is wanted for an alleged murder he did not commit and goes into hiding with the help of Pak Busoh (Haji Mahadi). However, gang members of the syndicate turn up at his place of hiding and he makes a run again to seek help from his sultry club singer friend Noridah (Sarimah). Just when Amran finds it harder to escape the syndicate’s trap, Major Anwar (Ahmad Mahmud) of the police comes to his rescue.

Ezhudhaa Kadhaiyo

Documentary about the exhumation of my great-grandparents's grave at Lorong Panchar, off Sixth Avenue in Singapore in 1995 because of a compulsory exhumation order. This video, completed in 1996, provided the basis for a later version of Moving House, 2001. My great-grandfather arrived from Xiamen, China in the late 1800s and opened a crockery shop at Clive Terrace, no longer extant, off Beach Road. My grandfather grew up at Sheik Madrasah Lane off Ophir Road.

After cooking a scrumptious meal for her family, Ah Ma endlessly waits for them to arrive until she realizes her innocent mistake.

The chronicles of a day in the life of a nameless woman as she wanders around Singapore. Part documentary part video essay, 'Nightfall' is a fictionalized account of Suwichakornpong's time spent during a residency researching Thai politics in a foreign land.

In this mix-media animated vignette, you find yourself in a retro bowling game and discover that you are the ball! You gutterball with gusto, journey through the longkang and find yourself crashing into a mysterious Shrub.

In a queer utopia, two couples sit in conversation at a restaurant, waiting for service that will never arrive. As hunger grows, they talk about time and happiness. Not wanting to wait forever, they decide to leave.

StigMa Lea is a Mother's Day telemovie highlighting the plight of a single mum. Moving forward after her divorce, Lea tries to hold her family's fort together despite the struggles, dealing with an angsty teenage son and societal perceptions of her new status. While her rugged widowed friend Freda gives her comfort, the sophisticated Gina angered her. What does Gina want that Lea and Freda already have? Will Freda be open to love again? Will Lea stand on her own two feet again?

A short film about love and economics.

1955 / Jubah Hitam / Black Cloak / S. Ramanathan / Malay Film Productions

A telecommunications employee struggles with his mundane and routine work life and attempts to escape it.

Untok Sesuap Nasi / For A Mouthful of Rice / L. Krishnan / Rimau

A Singaporen movie directed by B. S. Rajhans in 1952

A seemingly mundane conversation in a London jazz bar compels an arrogant psychologist to face up to his own phobia.

A connoisseur of women loves their beauty and soul, yet they always break his heart. Tonight he decides to end this vicious cycle... once again.

The burning of the peat forests throughout tropical Southeast Asia creates significant haze pollution that poses significant challenges to human health and the economies of the region. A government-sponsored transmigration program fueled the boom of oil palm farming, and local minorities were displaced. Scientists, government officials, local farmers, and displaced minorities present their conflicting points of view.

A ghostly encounter with the spirits of Sang Nila Utama and Sir Stamford Raffles.

A retrospective into the lives of two people with dyslexia - one a successful chef, and another a 9-year-old entrepreneur.

A spiritual prequel to 2015's 'The Violin', this 5-min short film once again takes viewers back to the old days of colonial Singapore, this time in the mid-1800s when emigrants arrived in droves after Singapore became a free port.

At various points in its history, tiny St. John's Island was where Singapore's colonial founder Sir Stamford Raffles docked his ship upon arrival, a quarantine centre for immigrants and pilgrims returning from Mecca, a penal colony for political detainees and secret society leaders, and a sleepy holiday resort. Unlike its neighbouring islands, however, St. John's was never fully developed. It occupies an in-between space, the vestiges of its history scattered around the land. Its indeterminacy stands in sharp contrast to Singapore, where land use is meticulously planned to fulfil economic and social functions. In this film, St. John's Island - otherwise known as 'Bukit Orang Salah', a nickname coined by the people who were quarantined there - becomes a site of and for reflection, prompting questions about our history, heritage and identity.

After returning from her studies in the US, Shannon reconnects with her friend Casandra. They meet at Shannon’s home and soon find themselves scrolling through job portals together, only to grow increasingly disillusioned with the job market. As they navigate the challenges of reuniting after a long time apart, their shared concerns about their careers and futures bring them closer, rekindling their bond.

Aunt Lotus, blind yet vibrant, attends a film audition for a mirrored role that rekindles her cycling memories. Rejected but undeterred, she sets forth, embracing her own path on a bicycle, and relives her youth.

Over a year after a highly anticipated album launch was thwarted by a pandemic, dark pop duo .gif finally brings HAIL NOTHING to the big screen. In this first-ever live presentation of all the songs from their acclaimed 2020 record, Chew Wei Shan and Nurudin Sadali are joined by music stalwarts Charlie Lim, Sarah Teh and Bani Haykal. Recorded at Snakeweed Studios and produced by Very Crafty Films, the special set features lush new vocal arrangements, riveting performances, transformative design, and a ton of raw emotion.

Mark, an independent loner, is asked to pretend to be his late twin brother. Before long, he experiences what it is like to be a father, and learns to love it. But how long can happiness built on lies last?

Ash is a short film about the unlikely friendship that develops between Teck, a grieving widower, and Kevin, an earnest young Singaporean policeman.

Boy meets Boy. Boy has sex. Boy goes home. Boy Drinks water. Boy takes a shower. The other boy is fading.

After getting fired from the academy, Madam Soot Beng is forced to find a new job or risk losing everything important to her; even if it means she has to stop doing what she loves, teaching.

‘Mama’ is a narrative short film that walks us through the unwaning determination and sacrifice of a mother in search for her runaway special needs child. As she journeys through Singapore, she meets conflicting individuals that offer help in her search.

Timeless is a visceral experience which disrobes the human condition over three epochs drawing upon searing images inspired by Francis Bacon’s triptych series. It is an examination of the questions “Time changes but do people change?” If people do change, why does HIStory repeat itself?

Enter the world of the Killuminati, the Hong Kong secret society of vampires that has existed for centuries.

When two different men from different walks of life are approached to sell drugs, one agrees while the other disagrees. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

The Team is a short film about kids in Singapore who loves soccer, in regardless of race or background. Set in the 90s, when our national football team is made up of multi- racial players that bring glory to Singapore as a nation. It's not about who we are, but what are we that matter.

Sarah, a Malay Muslim, is the daughter of a celebrity chef. In a bid to strike out on her own as a baker, she engages Edwin to produce her baking vlogs. Despite the initial rocky encounters, they begin developing feelings for each other. But they face an awkward problem: Edwin’s parents run a roast pork stall. How do the two families bridge this cultural gulf?

In hot tropical Singapore, a traveler stumbles upon polar bears, a road tunnel grand opening and office workers in cubicles. Deadpan in tone, surprising in content, the film captures a mood of a place where time stands still.

When a game of spin-the-bottle branches reality out to different timelines, a group of teenagers re-evaluate their friendship when secrets are revealed.