As the streets of Singapore begin to light up with Chinese New Year decorations, a quieter celebration of the lunar year fills the halls of Singapore’s beloved independent cinema, The Projector.
Known for its year-long curation of quality films, The Projector rings in the year of the snake with a lineup of Chinese language films that is a little off the beaten track.
The Projector’s Curatorial & Programming Lead, Walter Navarro, shared:
Although there is plenty of Chinese language cinema on our screens in Singapore, we feel that Chinese language arthouse and independent films are often under-represented in favour of high-budget blockbusters from the region.
We hope that the curation of these titles challenges local audiences to step out of their comfort zone and explore a more nuanced and thought-provoking form of storytelling with these fantastic films. A core part of our cinema's mission has always been to provide a platform for the underdogs and make independent films easily accessible, which is especially important for films like An Unfinished Film since it won’t be able to get a release in mainland China.
a still from An Unfinished Film
Despite critical acclaim, Director Lou Ye’s pseudodocumentary An Unfinished Film has been denied a theatrical release in the filmmaker’s motherland due to its choice to depict the Covid-19 pandemic, a topic still sensitive to the Chinese government. The film only received a Singapore release through the direct collaboration of The Projector’s programming team and the film’s producers.
The Projector is not working alone in introducing Singapore audiences to alternative Chinese films. Singapore-based distributor Cineaste Production House, helmed by Summer Shi, joins the Lunar New Year Showcase with Gao Peng’s award-winning crime thriller A Long Shot. Ms. Shi said:
When it comes to films produced in mainland China, there is limited awareness among Singaporean audiences. I hope to use my humble efforts to introduce great films to viewers here.
Film, as an independent artistic language, has evolved for 130 years. While spoken languages may have boundaries, the language of art is universal.
a still from Stranger Eyes
While art is universal, The Projector still celebrates local. Local dramas Stranger Eyes and Mongrel are featured in its Lunar New Year Showcase. The former made history as the first Singaporean film to compete for the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, while the latter was awarded the Camera d’Or Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival.
Local filmmakers are not the only ones making a splash in The Projector’s Lunar New Year Showcase; local film distributor Anticipate Pictures introduces Singapore to Mistress Dispeller, a quirky documentary that offers a look into a particularly unconventional profession: that of the titular Mistress Dispeller, who helps to end extramarital affairs covertly. Anticipate’s founder Vincent Quek shared:
Director Elizabeth Lo is an exciting Asian director from Hong Kong that Anticipate Pictures is excited to introduce to Singapore audiences. We believe Mistress Dispeller will start some fascinating conversations.
Here's a full rundown of the films featured:
A Long Shot
A Long Shot is a slick crime drama and first impressive directorial debut by Director Gao Peng. Inspired by the shocking real event of an armed heist by workers at a factory in northeastern China in the mid-90s. As seismic cultural and economic changes sweep the country, the working class struggle with the rapid changes, and decide to take matters into their own hands.
An Unfinished Film
In January 2020, director Xiaorui convinces his cast and crew to resume the shooting of a film halted a decade earlier. With the shoot almost complete, rumors regarding an illness begin to circulate. Some cast and crew manage to leave before the hotel is put on lockdown. Everyone remaining is confined to their rooms, and the director must decide whether to halt filming once more as Wuhan is shut down in the early days of a terrifying pandemic.
Mongrel
Oom, an undocumented Thai migrant in rural Taiwan, works as a caregiver for the elderly and disabled. He has to deal with suspicious employers, restricted mobility, withheld wages, and fellow migrants who question his complicit relationship with his exploitative boss. Torn between complying in hopes of eventually receiving his delayed pay, or maintaining his dignity, Oom must navigate his difficult circumstances to survive.
The screening will include a panel discussion with Director, Chiang Wei Liang, and TWC2’s President Debbie Fordyce, who will discuss the film and the invaluable role of migrant workers who work in caregiving in Singapore. The conversation will be moderated by multi-disciplinary artist Ezzam Rahman. 50% of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Transient Workers Count 2, a non-profit organization in Singapore dedicated to advocating for the fair treatment of migrant workers.
Mistress Dispeller
In China, a new industry has emerged devoted to helping couples stay married in the face of infidelity. Wang Zhenxi is part of this growing profession, a “mistress dispeller” who is hired to maintain the bonds of marriage—and break up affairs— by any means necessary.
Offering strikingly intimate access to private dramas usually hidden behind closed doors, Mistress Dispeller follows a real, unfolding case of infidelity as Teacher Wang attempts to bring a couple back from the edge of crisis. Their story shifts our sympathies between husband, wife and mistress to explore the ways emotion, pragmatism and cultural norms collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.
Stranger Eyes
After the mysterious disappearance of their baby daughter, a young couple receives strange videos and realizes someone has been filming their daily life — even in their most intimate moments. The police set up surveillance around their home to catch the voyeur but the family starts to crumble as secrets unravel under the scrutiny of eyes watching them from all sides.
The Projector’s Lunar New Year Showcase runs from January to February, with tickets available for purchase on its website.