Ronita Torcato

 

 

 

 by Ronita Torcato 

 

   The Singapore Consulate-General in Mumbai held its 2nd Singapore Film Festival from 20–21 April 2015 at the Little Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. The film festival marks the start of the celebrations lined up in Mumbai to commemorate Singapore’s 50th year of independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Singapore and India.  The Singapore Film Festival will also be held in New Delhi and Chennai in the later part of 2015.

 

Singapore Consul General Ajit Singh and  select guests had graced the launch of the celebrations at the NCPA. This year’s film festival showcased two internationally acclaimed Singapore films: “12 Storeys” by Eric Khoo and “ilo ilo” by Anthony Chen which was a festival favourite in India , both at the  44th edition of IFFI 2013 in Goa and at the Mumbai Film Fest where it won him the Best Director award  and  Yann Yann Yeo,(who plays a working mom)   the Best Actress award. Singapore makes about 10 films a year, mostly  slapstick comedies or horror. 

 These films will present to audiences the directors’ unique perspectives on life in Singapore. 

 

Commenting on the film festival, Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, HE Lim Thuan Kuan said “The Singapore Film Festival celebrates our countries’ friendship and aims to promote further cultural and artistic exchange, another important element in India and Singapore’s dynamic relationship. Singapore’s film industry is growing.  It shares the Indian film industry’s aspirations to richness and diversity in content and appeal. A number of talented Singaporean directors continue to lead the way in producing internationally acclaimed films centred on Singaporean themes.”   

 

 

 Significantly Chen's and Khoo's films won awards in Cannes and other prestigious festivals in the world. 

  A touching film about the relationship between a young boy and his Filipino nanny in a Singaporean family coming to terms with economic recession,Chen's Ilo Ilo won the Camera d’Or at Cannes. Partly auto-biographical,the film was inspired by Chen's  experience of having a Filipino maid in Singapore and the title Ilo Ilo refers to a province in the Philippines  where she came from. Interestingly,the film resulted in Chen re-uniting with his Filipino nanny after a radio station in the Philippines embarked on a search to find Chen’s inspiration. Needless to say, the film has superlative performances from each of the four leads. The three adult actors are  well-known in the region, while Koh Jia Ler (as the small boy Jiale) is a newcomer. The film was funded by the Singapore Film Commission and the Ngee Ann Polytechnic where Chen graduated from. 

 

Internationally-acclaimed film maker Eric Khoo's  “12 Storeys”  depicts a day in a block of residential flats in Singapore with the film exploring the lives of  three characters:Ah Gu, a middle-aged man, brings home a pretty young wife from China,but her unrealistic expectations result in frustration and disappointment with life in Singapore. San San who  lives alone is  suicidal. Then, a meeting with the daughter of her mother’s  former employer, Rachel,  triggers an outpouring of pent-up emotions. The third character Meng  bullies his younger sister Trixie and little brother Tee. Ultimately Meng’s persistent  interest  in  Trixie’s  personal  life  leads to an explosive confrontation.

Eric Khoo has been credited with putting Singapore onto the International film map in 1995.He was the first Singaporean to have his films invited to major film festivals such as Berlin,Venice and Cannes. Khoo was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Letters, from the French Cultural Minister and his feature, My Magic was nominated for the Cannes Palmed’Or in 2008. Chen's  film is the first Singaporean film to win  a top award.