Six from Singapore

Wide-ranging views of contemporary Singaporean society are portryed in six entries of the Singapore Film Festival, set for next week at SF World Cinema in Bangkok.
Marking 50 years of diplomatic relations with Thailand, the festival’s selection offers romance, comedy, drama and even horror.
The opener, “Singapore Girl”, is a 2014 romantic comedy about a Singapore Airlines flight attendant who has broken up with her boyfriend. Needing a vacation, the quirky young Chloe heads to Thailand. On Koh Samui, she bonds with a goofball young man, also a Singaporean who is also recovering from a break-up. They seem to get along, even though they don’t speak the same language. Kan Lume (“The Art of Flirting”) directs.
A noteworthy entry is 2013’s “Sayang Disayang” (“My Beloved Dearest”), the first Malay film produced in Singapore since the city declared independence in 1965. Directed by Sanif Olek, it is the tender portrait of the slowly developing relationship between an embittered, disabled elderly Muslim widower and his Indonesian housekeeper. Frequently prone to burst out in song, the stout maid Murni remains ever cheerful, despite her employer’s refusal to accept that her diligent daily preparation of the traditional spicy dish sambal goreng is as good or maybe even better than his late wife’s. “Sayang Disayang” won several accolades on the festival circuit, and was Singapore’s submission to this year’s Academy Awards.
“Sayang Disayang” also sparked an interest in more Malay Singaporean films, including last year’s “Banting”, an unusual sports comedy about a young woman from a strict Muslim household who yearns to be a professional wrestler. She secretly joins an all-female wrestling team, learns such moves as the clothesline and pile-driver, and converts her hi-jab head-covering into a sort of mask like the Mexican luchadores wear. Raihan Halim directs.
“Unlucky Plaza” offers a change of pace with a darkly comic satire about a Filipino restauranteur (Jeffrey Quizon), who is struck by a run of bad luck when his eatery has a food-poisoning scandal, he’s on the verge of bankruptcy and he’s hit by a financial scam. He spirals out of control and ends up taking hostages. It’s the latest effort from cult director Ken Kwek, whose 2013 debut feature “SexViolenceFamilyValues” was banned in the city-state.
Further examination of Singaporean society takes place in “Ms J Contemplates Her Choice”, a thriller that features the screen debut of famous singer Kit Chan. A frequent guest on a radio show that offers advice on relationships, she is forced into a series of difficult decisions by an anonymous caller. Jason Lai, who did the award-winning short “Three Feet Apart”, directs.
The horror offering, “Bring Back the Dead”, is about a young mother (Jesseca Liu) who is grieving over the loss of her seven-year-old son. She consults a former caregiver, Madam Seetoh (Liu Ling Ling), to bring back the boy’s soul, which leads to strange and deadly occurrences. Released in January in the city-state, it’s directed by television veteran Lee Thean-jeen.

50 years of friendship

The Singapore Film Festival runs from next Thursday until May 24 at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld in Bangkok.
Tickets are free, and will be handed out 30 minutes before the shows. For more details, see www.SFCinemaCity.com.

Thursday
6pm – “Singapore Girl”
8pm – “Sayang Disayang”

May 22
6pm – “Unlucky Plaza”
8.20pm – “Banting”

May 23
2pm – “Unlucky Plaza”
4.30pm – “Sayang Disayang”
6.20pm – “Bring Back the Dead”
8.20pm – “Ms J Contemplates Her Choice”

May 24
2.30pm – “Singapore Girl”
4.30pm – “Banting”
6pm – “Ms J Contemplates Her Choice”
8pm – “Bring Back the Dead”