Unlucky Plaza (Dec 4, 6:45pm at Shaw Lido)
You may have heard about this movie in the news—given that director Ken Kwek’s previous film sex.violence.family values was banned in Singapore. Fortunately, Unlucky Plaza will not suffer the same fate, and is set to be the opening film for the festival on Dec 4. The psychological thriller stars Filipino actor Epy Quizon as a financially challenged man who takes a group of people hostage in a millionaire’s bungalow. Rounding up the cast are local thespians Adrian Pang, Judee Tan, Janice Koh and Pamela Oei.
Décor (Dec 6, 4:30pm at Shaw Lido)
Another psychological drama being screened is Décor, an Egyptian film about a woman named Maha (Hureya Faraghili) who struggles to find her own identity. Obsessed with old Egyptian movies which she keeps playing on repeat, Maha soon enters a state of severe disorientation, with constant shifts between her own reality and delusions. This is the first Egyptian film to play in black and white since Mohamed Fadel’s 1996 drama Nasser 56, and will be directed by rising filmmaker Ahmad Abdalla.
From What Is Before (Dec 14, 4:30PM at National Museum of Singapore)
Set in a remote town in the Philippines during the 1970s, this film depicts the slow and haunting decline of a town before President Marcos imposed martial law on the country. Reflecting the trauma inflicted by Marcos’ brutal regime, the town is plagued by a series of unexplained occurrences, including animal deaths, tensions in the community and an outside invasion. Brace yourself though—the film runs for five-and-a-half hours, so we recommend going to the bathroom well in advance.
Winter Sleep (Dec 14, 2pm at Shaw Lido)
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Winter Sleep is a Turkish drama exploring the divide between the rich and the poor in Turkey. The main protagonist is Mr. Aydın (Haluk Bilginer), a wealthy hotel owner who is indifferent to the suffering around him and to the strife that exists within his own family. Winning big at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival (the Palme d’Or no less), the film has also been selected as Turkey’s entry for the 87th Academy Awards under the Foreign Language Category.
Red Amnesia (Dec 9, 7:15pm at Shaw Lido)
This edgy feature by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai centers on a retired widow (Lu Zhong) whose daily routine is disrupted when she starts receiving mysterious, anonymous phone calls. It’s not just yet another suspense thriller though—the film highlights important concerns affecting contemporary China, such as collective amnesia and generational displacement.
The Singapore International Film Festival runs from Dec 4-14, see more details here.
