Taste is a short film following Bassley, a Nigerian football player in the Vietnamese football league. After breaking his leg, he is let off and in desperation, finds work in a sex parlour to provide for his wife and son back home. Vietnamese director Le Bao has a very strong sense of atmosphere in Taste, bringing out the dark, seedy aspects of a sex parlour and the rural … Continue reading SGIFF 2016: Taste + Town In A lake
The 2016 French Film Festival began with a bang at Alliance Francaise with opening film Les Cowboys. Before the film, we were also treated to a view of the Gaumont Exhibition happening simultaneously, which exhibited iconic film posters of the past 120 years of French cinema. Les Cowboys is a modern Western that takes its influence from John Ford’s 1956 film The Searchers, with a similar plot involving cowboys searching … Continue reading French Film Festival 2016: Les Cowboys dir. Thomas Bidegain
Hang Qian Chou stars as the titular ‘Hay Bee’, which translates to ‘dried shrimp’, in this one man play. Written by Desmond Sim, Shrimps In Space follows the life of Lim Huat Bee as he grows up and navigates life as a scrawny kid and the terrifying world of school, girls and more. Shrimps in Space takes the audience on a journey from Hay Bee’s primary school life … Continue reading Review: Shrimps in Space by GenerAsia [10/11/16]
SRT rounds off their 2016 season with one of the most thought provoking plays this decade. Get your tickets for the Singaporean premiere of Pulitzer-Prize winning play Disgraced, which has also become the most staged play in the US in 2016! Disgraced follows Amir, an American born Muslim who’s achieved the American Dream with a great job and beautiful artist wife (who happens to specialise in Islam-inspired … Continue reading Preview: Disgraced by SRT
Who needs Shakespeare when all the drama really happens backstage? Roger Harwood’s script may be slightly dated, but its found its place perfectly well as a period piece that celebrates and decries all the mayhem that happens behind the scenes of a theatre company. Said to be based off of Harwood’s life as dresser to actor Sir Donald Wolfit, The Dresser is a backstage play, portraying the … Continue reading Review: The Dresser at the Duke of York’s Theatre [8/11/16]
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 … Continue reading Preview: SGIFF 2016 Opening Film + Special Presentation – Interchange + The Pursuit of A Happy Human Life
The annual French Film Festival is back again! We’re huge lovers of French cinema, and the selection this year is very exciting, with a well curated set of films from the last few years. Organized by Institut Français Singapour, the French Embassy and Alliance Française, the 2016 French Film Festival presents a selection of 18 films, ranging from cult classics to all new films fresh … Continue reading Preview: French Film Festival 2016
Shopping and F***ing is one of those fiercely British plays from the turbulent 90s, full of sex, violence, blood and drug use and is unabashedly controversial. Yet, behind the rage and fury lies a pertinent storyline that reflects some serious social issues and concerns. Receiving new direction from Sean Holmes, Shopping and F***ing highlights the transactional nature of our modern relationships and our treatment of money, … Continue reading Review: Shopping And F***ing by the Lyric Hammersmith [28/10/16]
The 19th Singapore Writer’s Fest has officially begun! The opening ceremony was held at the Arts House, with various performances to celebrate the launch! In his opening speech, Festival Director Yeow Kai Chai explained the theme of the festival: Sayang (literally ‘Love’ in Malay, but can also mean regret), which originated from how most of our stories are centered around love and loss. Senior Minister … Continue reading Preview: Singapore Writer’s Fest 2016 Opening Ceremony [4/11/16]
Hot off the 2016 London Film Festival, Your Name is the latest from director Makoto Shinkai, whose previous works include 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007) and Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011). I’ve personally always loved Shinkai’s work ever since catching Voices of A Distant Star ages ago, and it’s incredible how Your Name has become one of the highest grossing anime films in Japan, second only to films by animation giant Studio Ghibli. Your Name brings … Continue reading Review: Your Name dir. Makoto Shinkai
