The 27th SGIFF starts off with a bang, beginning with the Asian premiere of visionary Malaysian director Dain Iskandar Said’s new film Interchange. Set in a modern metropolis, Interchange explores the seedy depths of the subterranean underworld, a modern neo-noir playing on the supernatural and mythology of Southeast Asia.
Come see the dark side of the modern Asian city, with intense, rarely seen views of streetwalker lined dark alleyways and drag nightclubs. The unnamed Malaysian metropolis is transformed into a city of danger and vice, and we’re privy to the going ons through the performance of some of the best actors from Malaysia and Indonesia.
We follow forensic photographer Adam (Iedil Putra), still haunted by the traumatic experiences from a previous case. He becomes a voyeur, keeps away from work and shuts himself in. A series of gruesome, rituaistic murders develop and Adam is needed again by detective Man (Shaheizy Sam), while Adam is inexplicably drawn to mysterious femme fatale Iva (Prisia Nasution). As the mystery deepens and the supernatural and awesome come into play, can they get to the heart of the crime before it spins out of control?
With Interchange, director Dain Iskandar Said invites us ask ourselves the place of culture and tradition in the wake of mounting urbanisation, set amidst a strange world of magical shape-shifting shamans and mystical beings within a modern urban landscape.
Alongside the festival opener, the short film The Pursuit of A Happy Human Life will be shown alongside it, by local director Gladys Ng, whose previous short film My Father was awarded best Singaporean Short Film at the previous SGIFF.
With such great films to kick off the 27th SGIFF, can you fault us for bursting with excitement? Film in Asia is getting more exciting with each passing year, and you can be sure that these will only prove that point further.
For tickets to the opening film and special presentation on 23 November, head to the website HERE
