Now into its fourth year, the Southeast Asian Film Festival continues to showcase the freshest and most compelling cinematic work emerging from the region.
Providing a window into the core issues and concerns of Southeast Asia, the Festival also provides a space for inter-cultural and philosophical sharing, and for art and film friendships to form. Audiences will have a chance to meet both emerging directors as well as veteran filmmakers. There will be 20 screenings, nine post-screening discussions and two special sidebars on films from Singapore and films from Mindanao. New works by James Leong and Lynn Lee, Ing K and Manit Sriwanichpoom, Mikhail Red and Joshua Oppenheimer will be shown.
One of the festival highlights is the Shakespearean horror movie “Shakespeare Must Die” by director Ing K (2012, Thailand, 172 mins, Thai with Shakespearean subtitles). It takes place in two parallel worlds: In the “outside world”, the superstitious, megalomaniacal dictator Mekdeth grieves for his mad, dead wife even as a mass uprising rages against him. Elsewhere, a theatre group stages a production of Macbeth, translated directly from Shakespeare’s 1606 play. Events from the “inside” world of the stage tell the classic story of ambitious general Macbeth, who, prompted by the prophecies of witches and aided by his ruthless wife, kills the king to crown himself. The black magic witches, vengeful ghost and murders of Shakespeare’s play intercut with the disintegrations of Mekhdeth and his wife’s corrupt lives, until the two worlds collide in a catastrophic moment when the players must pay for staging such a play in such a society. This film was awarded the NETPAC Award and the Best Feature Film in Fiction at the Tripoli International Film Festival.
The screening of “Shakespeare Must Die” is followed by a post-screening discussion with director Ing K. The seating is limited, so make sure to get your tickets early!
Event: Southeast Asian Film Festival 2014
Dates: 11 Apr – 4 May
Venue: SAM at 8Q, Moving Image Gallery, Level 2, 8 Queen Street, Singapore 188535
Tickets: $10 for each film screening. $8 concession for students with valid ID, senior citizens and NSF. Tickets are available from SISTIC and include $1 SISTIC fee.
Info: www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/seaff
