Celluloid Void 2: The Lost Films of Southeast Asia

PUBLISHED March 20th, 2016 02:54 pm

19 FEB – 27 APR 2016 | Celluloid Void 2 is a film exhibition presented by the Asian Film Archive, supported by the National Library Board, Singapore.

Following the inaugural series last year, this year the exhibition is anchored by the twin theme of Confluence and Conflict. The Lost Films of Southeast Asia return to project a selection of significant 20th century lost films from Singapore, Malaysia , Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines and Thailand through the historical lens of specific socio-political milestones.

Some of the films featured at the exhibition are:

新客 (New Friend)
Malaya – Singapore, 1927
Info: This film is considered to be the first Singaporean film shot entirely in Singapore and Malaya. It was produced by Nanyang Low Pui-kim Self-made Motion Picture Company.

Seruan Merdeka (Call of Freedom)
Malaya – Singapore, 1947
Info: The first locally-produced post-war Malay film. Also believed to be the first political feature film in Malaya. It draws from the tribulations and stirrings of nationalism in the local population following the Japanese Occupation.

黑金 (Black Gold)
Malaya – Singapore, 1963
Info: this film was the first production of Era Movie Co. Ltd, a Singapore-based film company founded with the ambition to build up a Malayan Chinese film industry.

Sas Samoth (The Sea Horse)
Cambodia, 1975
Info: Produced by Ly Bun Yim, whose films were so popular that movie theaters had to change the show times of other films to avoid competing with him. There is nothing left of this film except for Mr Ly’s memories of it, which is captured in a documentary shown in this exhibition.

Celluloid Void 2: The Lost Films of Southeast Asia is happening from 19 February to 27 April 2016 at Level 8, National Library Building from 10am to 9pm daily. Admission is free. For more details, check out the event page here.