Guest
Commissioned by National Gallery Singapore, five award-winning Southeast Asian directors created filmic interpretations of masterpieces of their choice from the Gallery’s collection. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wounded Lion by Joko Anwar Inspired by Raden Saleh’s painting of the same name, Wounded Lion is the portrait of a classical dancer who is forced to perform on the streets to support his family. With every clang made by coins tossed into his metal tin, the dancer wrestles with the pride he still takes in his art and his diminishing sense of self. Joko Anwar (b. 1976) is a writer and director whose films have found both commercial and critical success. His film, A Copy of My Mind (2014), premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival (Italy, 2015) and was the only Southeast Asian film in the official selection. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aku by Ho Yuhang A man walks through a desolate landscape, and encounters another who asks if he is lost. This triggers a series of disturbing flashbacks, revealing that the man was once a soldier who is now struggling to cope with life after war. In this film, Ho imagines the psychological landscape and emotions simmering in Aku, Latiff Mohidin’s portrait of poet Khairul Anwar. Ho Yuhang (b. 1971) directed Rain Dogs (2006), the first Malaysian film to compete at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival (Italy, 2006). His film, Mrs K (2016), had its world premiere at the 21st Busan International Film Festival (South Korea, 2016). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amorsolo’s Dream by Brillante Mendoza As competing political parties flex their might in the run-up to an election, a grandmother and her grandson are forcibly removed from their fruit stall. When they return home, the family jokes about the incident, indifferent to the election campaigning on television. Mendoza was inspired by the festive mood in Fernando Amorsolo’s Marketplace During the Occupation, which he saw as capturing the resilience of the Filipino spirit in the midst of crisis. Brillante Mendoza (b. 1960) is the first Filipino filmmaker to compete and win in three major international film festivals: the 58th Berlin International Film Festival (Germany, 2008), the 62nd Cannes Film Festival (France, 2009), and the 69th Venice Film Festival (Italy, 2012). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ablaze by Apichatpong Weerasethakul Ablaze responds to two paintings by Raden Saleh—Merapi, Eruption by Day and Merapi, Eruption by Night—which capture the intensity of light at different times. Filmed in a single take, the camera moves across a dream-like forestscape until it reaches two silhouettes gazing into the distance. Apichatpong Weerasethakul (b. 1970) is a filmmaker and visual artist. His 2010 film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, won the Palme d’Or at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival (France, 2010). Primitive (2009), a major installation for dOCUMENTA (13) (Germany, 2012) was acquired by Tate Modern and Foundation Louis Vuitton. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chua Mia Tee by Eric Khoo Chua Mia Tee pays tribute to the local artist in this film, inspired by his painting Portable Cinema. In the first half, a boy watched a silent film on a portable cinema, creating the dialogue and sound effects for it as he turns the crank. The second half features Chua Mia Tee himself as he shares about the importance of instilling truth, kindness and beauty in his works. Eric Khoo (b. 1965) broke new ground in 1995 with his debut feature, Mee Pok Man, regarded as the first realist film in Singapore. He was the first Singaporean filmmaker to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.
