Best of First Take 2010
Date: Sunday 12 December, 5 – 9pm
Venue: The Substation Theatre
Admission: Free (donations welcome)
Presented by The Substation Moving Images
For this special screening, The Substation presents the audience favourites of each month, and a final vote is cast for the Top Favourite of First Take 2010!
There will be two screenings, for more details on the shortlisted films, please see below.
Session 1: 5 to 6.30 pm
Total duration: 87 min
Singapore Satire / Joshua Ng and Faridah Saad / 18 minutes / 2009 / NC16
In the land oft-called the “soft authoritarian state”, and which is most famous for silencing direct opponents and banning the Far Eastern Economic Review, do people have a voice? Enter Singapore Satire, the documentary that analyses this critique-mechanism which existed alongside Greco-Roman democracy, in Renaissance Singapore. It is a seminal collection and analysis of the various brands of satire which Singaporeans so identify themselves with so much.
My Underwear My World / Danny Lim / 16 minutes / 2009 / PG
10-year-old Jiale escapes to a fantasy world to fulfill his longing for his lost mother. His father, also struggling with the loss, awkwardly tries to play a more maternal role but is frustrated with his reclusive son. A confrontation and a clumsy accident cause the father and son to view each other in a new light and form a stronger bond than ever.
Happy Place / Jeevan Nathan / 10 minutes / 2008 / PG
Happy Place is a dark whimsical tale about hope, love, loss and acceptance. It is a story of a brother, Daniel, trying to save his dying sister, (Victoria) from the “evil”. Using drawings and imagination, Daniel takes her away from the “bad house” and into… the happy place.
My Father SazaliI / Sazali Masraji / 17 minutes / 2008 / PG
My Father Sazali depicts a barber’s unfulfilled aspirations and his quest in preventing his son from following in his footsteps. Ironically, the father’s failure in achieving his dream serves as a symbol of motivation for the son in pursuing his own ambition, much to the dismay of the father.
Lights Out / Wang Eng Eng / 26 minutes / 2009 / PG
When the lights go out in Singapore, these men make their way out onto the streets to sleep. Lights Out documents the lives and struggles of 3 migrant workers as they live on the streets and shelters of Singapore waiting for a solution to their problems. Like many others, they came full of hope, but in turn found themselves caught in bureaucratic loop holes and broken promises made by illegal labour agents. They end up with no work and living for months on the streets. With no money and nowhere to go, they wait for their turn to return home.
Session 2: 7.30 to 9 pm
Total duration: 83 min
Checkmate / Mohd Yahssir / 11 minutes / 2010 / PG
An 11-year-old boy (Surya) meets a solitary old man (Panneeir) playing chess and joins him without an invitation. As they continue to play on, their conversation takes a more intimate turn and the old man realizes that although his past was unfortunate, there is still hope for the future.
For Rent / Goh Moy Yen / 19 minutes / 2009 / PG
Many Singaporeans take home ownership for granted, living comfortably in their Housing and Development Board flat. Within their well-developed housing estates, they do not notice their lesser counterparts who rent subsidized one/two room flats from the government. For these small living spaces, some struggle to pay the seemingly measly monthly rental fees. For Rent attempts to paint a clearer picture of the challenges that this forgotten community face, and sheds light on underlying social issues that a common Singaporean tends to neglect.
Brown Sugar / Chong Neng Jie Jonathan / 14 minutes / 2009 / PG
Without Daniel, Kaelyn feels that she has become a shadow, waiting to fade with each and every sunrise. Without Daniel, her hands shiver and her thoughts still to a deafening silence. She would wait, but for how long? Decidedly, this is not a story about overcoming odds. This is a story about closure. The poem to be finished is not about loss, not entirely, but it is about one thing that Kaelyn and Daniel believed in: Love.
Brazil / Philothea Liau / 5 minutes / 2009 / PG
Meng buys the most sought after ‘Brazil’ eraser from a bookshop during recess. Unfortunately, two bullies rob him of his remaining cash. Desperate to save himself from hunger, he sells the eraser for a sum. As soon as he succeeds, his discipline master appears, leaving him to suffer a painful lesson.
Riding East / Melissa Foo / 19 minutes / 2010 / NC16
Tim and Beng are two different people, from different backgrounds, connected only because of Zoe, who is Timothy’s baby sister, and Beng’s girlfriend. When Timothy discovers something incredulous belonging to Zoe, he pulls Beng out and forces him to get Zoe, in order to get to the bottom of things. This sparks a series of adventures and misadventures, as the two men are forced to work together to get to the person they love.
Impian Si Mamat (Mamat’s Aspiration) / Zilkifli Salleh / 15 minutes / 2008 / PG
Impian Si Mamat is a story about a young boy’s undying aspiration to be a professional photographer and his inspiring adventures in achieving his dreams The story revolves around his dad’s sacrifices to support his aspirations and Mamat’s unconventional journey of pursuing his dreams beyond ordinary means as well as realising his responsibility as a son.
Date: Sunday 12 December, 5 – 9pm
Venue: The Substation Theatre
Admission: Free (donations welcome)
Presented by The Substation Moving Images
For this special screening, The Substation presents the audience favourites of each month, and a final vote is cast for the Top Favourite of First Take 2010!
There will be two screenings, for more details on the shortlisted films, please see below.
Session 1: 5 to 6.30 pm
Total duration: 87 min
Singapore Satire / Joshua Ng and Faridah Saad / 18 minutes / 2009 / NC16
In the land oft-called the “soft authoritarian state”, and which is most famous for silencing direct opponents and banning the Far Eastern Economic Review, do people have a voice? Enter Singapore Satire, the documentary that analyses this critique-mechanism which existed alongside Greco-Roman democracy, in Renaissance Singapore. It is a seminal collection and analysis of the various brands of satire which Singaporeans so identify themselves with so much.
My Underwear My World / Danny Lim / 16 minutes / 2009 / PG
10-year-old Jiale escapes to a fantasy world to fulfill his longing for his lost mother. His father, also struggling with the loss, awkwardly tries to play a more maternal role but is frustrated with his reclusive son. A confrontation and a clumsy accident cause the father and son to view each other in a new light and form a stronger bond than ever.
Happy Place / Jeevan Nathan / 10 minutes / 2008 / PG
Happy Place is a dark whimsical tale about hope, love, loss and acceptance. It is a story of a brother, Daniel, trying to save his dying sister, (Victoria) from the “evil”. Using drawings and imagination, Daniel takes her away from the “bad house” and into… the happy place.
My Father SazaliI / Sazali Masraji / 17 minutes / 2008 / PG
My Father Sazali depicts a barber’s unfulfilled aspirations and his quest in preventing his son from following in his footsteps. Ironically, the father’s failure in achieving his dream serves as a symbol of motivation for the son in pursuing his own ambition, much to the dismay of the father.
Lights Out / Wang Eng Eng / 26 minutes / 2009 / PG
When the lights go out in Singapore, these men make their way out onto the streets to sleep. Lights Out documents the lives and struggles of 3 migrant workers as they live on the streets and shelters of Singapore waiting for a solution to their problems. Like many others, they came full of hope, but in turn found themselves caught in bureaucratic loop holes and broken promises made by illegal labour agents. They end up with no work and living for months on the streets. With no money and nowhere to go, they wait for their turn to return home.
Session 2: 7.30 to 9 pm
Total duration: 83 min
Checkmate / Mohd Yahssir / 11 minutes / 2010 / PG
An 11-year-old boy (Surya) meets a solitary old man (Panneeir) playing chess and joins him without an invitation. As they continue to play on, their conversation takes a more intimate turn and the old man realizes that although his past was unfortunate, there is still hope for the future.
For Rent / Goh Moy Yen / 19 minutes / 2009 / PG
Many Singaporeans take home ownership for granted, living comfortably in their Housing and Development Board flat. Within their well-developed housing estates, they do not notice their lesser counterparts who rent subsidized one/two room flats from the government. For these small living spaces, some struggle to pay the seemingly measly monthly rental fees. For Rent attempts to paint a clearer picture of the challenges that this forgotten community face, and sheds light on underlying social issues that a common Singaporean tends to neglect.
Brown Sugar / Chong Neng Jie Jonathan / 14 minutes / 2009 / PG
Without Daniel, Kaelyn feels that she has become a shadow, waiting to fade with each and every sunrise. Without Daniel, her hands shiver and her thoughts still to a deafening silence. She would wait, but for how long? Decidedly, this is not a story about overcoming odds. This is a story about closure. The poem to be finished is not about loss, not entirely, but it is about one thing that Kaelyn and Daniel believed in: Love.
Brazil / Philothea Liau / 5 minutes / 2009 / PG
Meng buys the most sought after ‘Brazil’ eraser from a bookshop during recess. Unfortunately, two bullies rob him of his remaining cash. Desperate to save himself from hunger, he sells the eraser for a sum. As soon as he succeeds, his discipline master appears, leaving him to suffer a painful lesson.
Riding East / Melissa Foo / 19 minutes / 2010 / NC16
Tim and Beng are two different people, from different backgrounds, connected only because of Zoe, who is Timothy’s baby sister, and Beng’s girlfriend. When Timothy discovers something incredulous belonging to Zoe, he pulls Beng out and forces him to get Zoe, in order to get to the bottom of things. This sparks a series of adventures and misadventures, as the two men are forced to work together to get to the person they love.
Impian Si Mamat (Mamat’s Aspiration) / Zilkifli Salleh / 15 minutes / 2008 / PG
Impian Si Mamat is a story about a young boy’s undying aspiration to be a professional photographer and his inspiring adventures in achieving his dreams The story revolves around his dad’s sacrifices to support his aspirations and Mamat’s unconventional journey of pursuing his dreams beyond ordinary means as well as realising his responsibility as a son.