Pineapple Town
Pineapple Town is a fictional short film featured in the 7 Letters (2015) omnibus, an anthology of 7 films created to celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence. It was funded by the Media Development Authority.
The story follows Li Ning (played by Lydia Look), a Singaporean adoptive mother who embarks on a road trip to the small Malaysian town of Pekan Nanas. Driven by a need to understand her daughter's heritage, she seeks out the child’s biological mother to uncover the circumstances behind the adoption. The film explores a family's healing and reconciliation with the past, allegorising the political separation between Singapore and Malaysia through a personal story of familial separation.
Uniquely within the omnibus, the story is set in the future and concludes on a positive note, offering a vision of how future generations can be comfortable with their history. Pineapple Town marked Tan Pin Pin's first dramatic fiction work in 15 years, departing from her well-known documentary style while maintaining its nuanced focus on cultural identity and national memory.
7 Letters had its gala premiere at the Capitol Theatre on 24 July 2015. It opened theatrically to rave reviews. The film was selected as the Singaporean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. The commemorative DVD was released upon the premiere, and profits went to charities of the filmmakers' choice. Pin Pin's charity was Transient Workers Count Too.
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"Deeply moved by Letters"
– Straits Times"A heartfelt cinematic missive to Singapore"
– The Business Times -
Cast
Ning – Lydia Look
Sumathi – Anne James
Kang – Nickson Cheng
Michelle (Baby) – Rexy Tong
Michelle (6 Years Old) – Rianne Lee
Ah Gek – Yoo Ah Min
Kim Leng – Karen Lim
Birth Mum – Rachel Tay
Immigration Officer – Muhammad Zulhilmi Bin Ithnin
Grandfather (In Photo) – Ho Tin Ann
Grandmother (In Photo) – Lily OngCrew
Written and Directed By Tan Pin Pin
Producer: Ric Aw, Pok Yue Weng, The Creative Room
Director of Photography: Brian Mcdairmant
Production Manager: Foo Xiuqi
1st Assistant Director: Tiffany Ng
Production Coordinator: Too Wai Shiuh, Sampson Teo
Production Assistant: Kelvin Yee, Terrence You Hui, Chan Jiamin
Art Director: Isaac Lee
Art Assistant: Syed Muhammad Alaydrus
Wardrobe Stylist: Meredith Lee
Wardrobe Assistant: Lee Xin Ying
Make Up Artist / Hair Stylist: Karen Lai
Casting Manager: Lim Jia Yun
Location Manager: Tan Yue Xing
1st Camera Assistant: Sam Quen Dean
2nd Camera Assistant: Feng Kexin
Data Wrangler: Khoo Su-Mae
Key Grip: Malik Basar
Grip: Marcus Chee
Gaffer: William Eng
Sound Recordist: Charlotte Wong
Movie Stills: Charmaine Poh
Production Driver: Yap Sui Boon, Chan Pit Wei, Abdul Rahman Bin Othman, Abdul Manan Bin PaeiPost Production
Offline Editor: Delcie Poh
Graphics: Elena Ho
DCP Mastering Services: Mocha Chai Laboratories
Colourist: Isnor Dzulkarnian Jaafar
Sound Editorial: Justin Seah
Music: “Dayung Sampan” Traditional Indonesian Folksong, hummed by Lydia LookSpecial Thanks
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore
Lee Qin Yi
Ang Bee Eik Doreen
Serene Wong
Hafary Pte Ltd
The Projector, Sharon Tan
Chan Kim Hong
Rathabai Paillai
Miss Lan
Yong Shu Ling
Karen Khoo
Yuni Hadi
Damon Chua
Ian Wee
Alan Yap
Chung Yin Ping
Candice Lim
Friends and Family of Tan Pin Pin
2015, 17 min, 16:9, in English and Mandarin, with English and Chinese subtitles