A Guide to Singaporean Cinema: Screening Nostalgia This National Day

PUBLISHED August 9th, 2022 06:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:30 pm

Happy National Day! Given how reflective movies are of the culture from which they belong, there’s no better way to connect with Singapore than a look at its cinematic history (as we know it). Whether you’re an expat wanting to learn more about the country you’re in or a Sinkie desiring a deeper connection, look to the snapshot of society within these films for an insight into the perspectives of others in this island nation. From iconic classics and hidden gems, to the new films that succeed them, read on.

Influential Directors

Jack Neo

Jack Neo’s iconic I Not Stupid (2002) follows the story of 3 schoolboys whose teachers have all but given up on. Beneath the Singaporean-style comedy and mischievous hijinks, which you can definitely expect from any Neo movie, lies a narrative of struggle. Dumped in the ‘inferior’ EM3 stream, the lives of the 3 boys brings forth a picture of societal pressure and suffocating deference that strikes a chord close to the hearts of every Singaporean, even sparking discourse that eventually led to the abolishment of the EM3 stream altogether.

Anthony Chen

In Singapore, the practice of hiring foreign domestic helpers to help raise children is widespread, creating a unique neither-here-nor-there maternal relationship that Anthony Chen beautifully portrays in Ilo Ilo (2013). All the way from the Philippines, Teresa arrives to care for Jiale, who is grieving his deceased grandfather. Pushing through his rebellious and trouble behaviour and filling in for Jiale’s parental absence and the two eventually develop a close bond – which his mother is understandably jealous of. Exploring the complexity and intimacy in an employer-employee relationship, Chen’s flair for dramatic emotion shines through in this narrative that many Singaporeans can relate to.

Tan Pin Pin

With a cacophony of ambient soundscapes and characters, Tan Pin Pin replicates the exact experience of walking about Singapore. From the coaxing voices of numerous tissue uncles to the music of street buskers gently echoing, the city breathes through uninterrupted scenes of everyday life. With no narration to cut through the raw noise of the bustling streets, Singapore GaGa (2005) brings into focus the parts of Singapore that we tend to miss while focusing on school, work, and the rat-race.

Notable films

I Dream of Singapore (2019)

Despite making up a not insignificant portion of the population, Singapore’s foreign domestic workers rarely get a voice, and remain in the background of the lives of the locals. This hidden humanity becomes fleshed out in I Dream of Singapore (2019), as the hardship and hope of the thousands of immigrants, as well as the exploitation and mistreatment, all come to life with stark honestly. The stories of the 3 migrants expose the ugly side to Singapore’s success, and take a step towards toppling the learned dehumanisation that enables their pain.

Eating Air (1999)

With slow, lingering scenes before jumping into over-the-top kungfu fantasy sequences, Eating Air (1999) shows the life of Ah Boy in a way almost reminiscent of arthouse movies, but with the unpretentiousness that comes with Singaporean culture. The film follows Ah Boy as he loafs around town with his buddies causing trouble, then falling in love and getting into serious danger when his best friend messes with the wrong people. Kelvin Tong imbues every scene with a sense of idle mundanity that rings true to the lives of many (before technology took over), and together with the multilingual code-switching, it perfectly translates the Singaporean experience and ‘ah beng’ culture to the screen.

7 Letters (2015)

In honour of Singapore’s 50^th anniversary, 7 renown directors each come together with a short story that pieces together a broader picture of Singaporean life. Jack Neo comes in with his signature down-to-earth humour with That Girl, while Boo Jun Feng brings out the tissues with Parting, a tale about the journey of a man with dementia, and K Rajagopal’s semi-autobiographical The Flame reflects on how Singapore’s independence affected his family. Rich with a variety of distinct styles, the collection of short films is a love letter to Singapore from some of its best auteurs.

New Films

Wet Season (2019)

Another film by Anthony Chen, Wet Season (2019) depicts an unusual bond between Ling, a teacher neglected by her husband, and her student Wei Lun, who suffers his own neglect from his parents. Loneliness draws the pair together to a point of impropriety, and the undercurrent of possibly romantic feelings from Wei Lun and the overpowering maternal urges from Ling following her failed attempts at pregnancy fills the film with a deep tension and dread that hovers over every interaction. The film brilliantly explores the impact of power dynamics on any relationship between two people, as well as what loneliness can drive people to do.

Tiong Bahru Social Club (2020)

In his third film, Tan Bee Thiam explores an almost Black Mirror-esque setting with humour. Following a recently fired 30 year-old Ah Bee who is suddenly dropped into the role of a Happiness Agent in the Tiong Bahru Social Club, he becomes responsible for the happiness of an elderly Ms Wee – all measured and directed by an algorithm. Light-hearted yet thought-provoking, Tiong Bahru Social Club (2020) questions the value of our tech-driven lifestyle and paternalistic governance, exploring where it may lead in the future, with the comedy and bright colours that keep the movie fun.

Some Women (2021)

Discussions of queerness has been taboo for very long in Singaporean society, leading to misunderstandings and assumptions that are never resolved. Putting the experiences of her and others on screen, Quen Wong reveals a side to the transgender community in Singapore that cis-hetero Singaporeans have not seen. From the bustling Bugis Street of the 1980s to the university campuses of today, Some Women (2021) explores the lives of trans-women, highlighting both the complexity that comes with the queerness, and the mundanity of simply living as every other person does.

Top image: 7 Letters (2015). Photo courtesy of IMDA.