Invisible City opens in July in Singapore. (PG) More details to follow, will update shortly.

My friends director Ying Liang and his producer co-writer and partner Peng Shan will be in Singapore this weekend to premiere their film The Other Half at Singapore International Film Festival on 22 April, 9.15, National Museum. This film is one of the nominees for the Silver Screen Awards. Their previous feature “Taking Father Home” was also honoured in the Silver Screen Awards last year but they could not make it here then. Much has been said about the video movement that sparked the Malaysian new wave. A similar video movement is also taking place in China (non government sanctioned of course) and their works, ultra low budget, self funded videos are finding their way beyond the university campuses, where these films are normally screened to festivals overseas. Pic below taken at Rotterdam 2006

Heard that Said Zahari 17 years has been banned under section 35 of the Film Act which gives the Minister of Information a discretionary power to prohibit the distribution or possession of any film he deems against the public interest. It is a pity. This film should be seen, especially by Singaporeans. For the documentary is about the price of our present day efficiency, wealth and ennui. In the early 60’s, during Singapore’s formation, at the height of the red scare, a whole echelon of politicians, intellectuals, artists had their lives brought to a standstill when they were incarcerated without trial as they were considered too far to the left. They were inconvenient to have around, too unruly and uncontrollable. On a craft level, I admire this documentary for its simplicity. Martyn See could have added so many other kinds of shots, but he does not. He focuses on the basic talking head, keeps it tight, and as one watches the Said Zahari speak, it all makes sense why this simple device was chosen. Its our loss.

Other good news around the region, Amir Mohammed’s Village People Radio Show is banned by Malaysia’s censors but can be seen at SIFF next week (just as Said Zahari 17 years could be seen at Freedom Film Festival in Kuala Lumpur last year)

Watching Cages, I was particularly struck by the actor Mokoto Iwamatsu who plays the grandfather. Very quickly, I got over the incongruity of Mokoto playing a Montagut shirted Chinese Ah Pek in Singaporespeaking with with a western accent . All good actors have that effect, the ability to suspend one’s disbelief in all kinds of inconguous scenarios by focusing on the emotion of that scene. Check him out.

We are in the middle of making Invisible City, editing, shooting, editing and shooting some more. We have spent the past week throwing out all our favourite scenes in an attempt,ironically, to find the heart of the film. It is a brutal process, if personal fancies are not aligned with the thrust of the documentary – out it goes. We are much lighter now, leaner, more emotionally focused. I tell Inez Ang, the editor that we have to make another film with all the discarded footage because I just can’t fit them all into this film and still have it make sense. So, I will think of Invisible City as a chapter of a long scroll with more chapters to come, Invisible 2, Invisible 3, Invisible 4. Below, Ryan Seet the camera man for Invisible City, he also shot Singapore GaGa

Watch films by Naruse, Ozu and Mizoguchi in a 3hr screening on Wed, 21st March. They were all studio hacks, films were all made in 1933-1935, all silent, all on 35mm prints. Watching them all side by side, you will get a sense of the strength and weakness of each and the milieu in which they operated. Ozu is the most well known, and rightly so too. Even though they all worked with the same melodramatic material (long suffering female protagonists used by hapless men) Ozu had a surer command of the craft and could with a simple still life positioned at the right time, kick you hard behind the knees, harder than Naruse. Don’t believe me? See it for yourself. Organised by Asian Film Archive and CFA. More info. Sistic

Date: 21 March 2007, Wed, 7.30 pm
Venue: University Cultural Centre Hall, NUS, Ticket: $25 (3 films with live Gamelan performance)

I hope this film from Mali, Bamako, which uses unusual theatrics often employed by third world directors to air weighty topics is shown at SIFF. A review by JR

Substation News Flash: The Substation has a new website, clearer and easier to navigate.

Thomas Yeo holds an exhibition for the Substation, proceeds of sale go to Substation. Buy a painting or donate online here. Every dollar counts. Don’t take your independent arts institutions for granted. Thank you.

Closer to this house, the only full time film programmer in S’pore Kristin Saw is organising the 2nd Documentary Festival, our very own, starts next week, you even get a free preview (what more do you want?)

6-10 Mar 07
Free preview on 3 Mar 07
Tickets from Gatecrash.com.sg (hotline: 6222 5595)

Evening screenings at The Substation Theatre ($7/$5 concession) Call 6337 7535 for more information.

Jasmine Ng co-director of Eating Air and award winning Lonely Planet documentaries is premiering her new documentary PINK PADDLERS, about a gang of Singaporean Breast Cancer Survivors’ bid to win the International Dragon Boat Competition. I have seen it and highly recommend it, it is moving, unexpectedly funny and I learnt alot. It is premiering on 26 March, 8pm ($30,$50), all proceeds go to Unifem and the Breast Cancer Foundation. If I had enough money, I would buy tickets for all my friends and family, male and female, its essential watching. Buy a ticket Trailer, Ticket info

I am pleased to announce that Singapore GaGa is now available at HMV (Heeren and Citilink) in addition to it being available at Earshot, Kinokuniya, Books Actually, Objectifs, Asylum. As I said, we are BIG! Full listings here