One of Singapore’s first openly queer Mandarin films brings drag and LGBTQ issues to the mainstream with heart and humour. RuPaul may have brought drag culture to mainstream audiences all over the world, but here in conservative Singapore, the idea of a man dressing up as a woman continues to be seen as a thing to be shunned, and a source of shame for most … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: 男儿王 Number 1 dir. Ong Kuo Sin
Keep calm and carry on. With how awful 2020 has turned out to be, it’s more important than ever to embrace the idea of mindfulness, and learn how to take care of our mental health so we don’t fizzle out all of a sudden with no warning. And according to PK Poniah, who has a masters in guidance and counselling, one way of doing that … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Calm – A Journal For Myself by PK Poniah
Crime-solving child sleuths take to Singapore’s offshore islands. I’ll admit, despite it being the fifteenth book in the series, this is actually the first Sherlock Sam book I’m reading. But even as a newcomer, it’s easy enough to dive into the fast-paced exploits of our local child detectives. And this time around, Sherlock Sam and the Wonderful Watson Online Detective Agency are taking their adventure … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Book Review: Sherlock Sam and the Seafaring Scourge on Sentosa by A.J. Low
Capturing the intersection of a tumultuous adolescence and national tragedy through beautifully wrought language. The bildungsroman form has long been a staple of literature for good reason – there’s something inherently powerful about reliving someone else’s childhood alongside them, finding those all too familiar roads you’ve both walked down and the confusing feelings of first love and adolescence. What makes Danton Remoto’s Riverrun more than just your … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Book Review: Riverrun by Danton Remoto
A meander through the annals of time that leaves us wanting more. Because of the controversial plan to exhume its graves to make way for more land, Bukit Brown is probably Singapore’s most well-known cemetery, and whose significance is both historical in value and as an integral example of our country’s almost uncaring approach towards preservation when it comes to progress. In Sun Jung’s novel … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Book Review: Bukit Brown by Sun Jung
Hybrid devised piece from ITI’s graduating students reflects on their lives and mental state during lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a myriad of problems and effects, something that’s likely to be felt just as strongly, if not more so, than the five graduating members of the Intercultural Theatre Institute’s (ITI) latest batch of graduating students. Not only did they have to cancel their mid-year … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: FIVE by Intercultural Theatre Institute
French patriotism on the big screen in this celebration of the former French president. With the need to strike a careful balance between entertainment and respect for the subject matter without coming off as trite, patriotic films aren’t the easiest thing to make. Yet with Gabriel Le Bomin’s De Gaulle, the biopic seems to have captured a riveting image of the former French president’s courage and elevates … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: De Gaulle dir. Gabriel Le Bomin
It’s been five years since The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye was first published, and since then, has gone on to win a slew of awards, ranging from the 2016 Singapore Literature Prize for English Fiction, to three Eisner Awards in 2017 for Best Writer/Artist, Best Publication Design, and Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia. But for graphic novelist Sonny Liew, life hasn’t changed … Continue reading By The Book: An Interview with Sonny Liew, creator of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
A genre-breaking graphic novel presenting the history of Singapore with charm, accessibility and power. I first picked up a copy of The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye when I learnt about its Eisner nominations back in 2017. While I’d previously read creator Sonny Liew’s shorter work in anthologies such as Kazu Kibushi’s Flight or Liquid City (edited by Sonny), a full-length graphic novel from the cartoonist was unexpected, to … Continue reading ★★★★★ Book Review: The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (5th Anniversary Edition) by Sonny Liew
Students consider the impact and relevance of god and religion in the face of unimaginable crises. When playwright Haresh Sharma wrote godeatgod, it was written in response to the 9/11 attack in the USA, capturing the spirit of the fear and uncertainty felt in the wake of the incident, with even faith and religion itself becoming difficult to seek comfort in. It is through the lens … Continue reading Review: godeatgod by Lasalle College of the Arts
