Archive for the ‘12 Lotus’ Category
Two Local Films To Be Featured At Pusan International Film Festival
SINGAPORE : Two Singapore films, “My Magic” and “12 Lotus”, will be featured at the 13th Pusan International Film Festival in Korea next month.
Eric Khoo’s “My Magic”, a story about a down-and-out ex-magician and his young son, is also Singapore’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Award at the Oscars (Academy for Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences).
“12 Lotus”, a 121-minute film from Raintree Pictures, Studio 10TwentyEight, Scorpio East Pictures and Infinite Frameworks, narrates a tale about Lian Hua, a talented singer who yearns for acceptance from the people she loves.
It is Royston Tan’s second film to screen at the Pusan International Film Festival, following the successful premiere of his first musical “881″ at the Festival last year.
The festival is being held in Pusan from October 2 to 10.
Another Singapore production, “Sing To The Dawn” - an animated feature about the coming-of-age of a young girl in a rural village who fights for her right to education - will have its international premiere at the Focus AniAsia section (Animation programme) of the Pusan International Film Festival.
The movie is based on the award-winning book by Minfong Ho. And the film is co-produced by Raintree Pictures, Media Development Authority (MDA), Infinite Frameworks and Scorpio East Pictures.
“Sandcastle”, a psychological drama directed by Boo Junfeng, is Singapore’s entry among 30 projects selected for the Pusan Promotion Plan.
The Plan is a platform for film-makers and producers to meet potential co-producers to explore financing and co-production opportunities.
Kenneth Tan, director of the Singapore Film Commission and chief operating officer of MDA, said the exposure that Singapore companies get at the Pusan International Film Market is good for the country’s profile and industry development.
He said: “Not only are Singapore films capturing the attention of consumers and distributors worldwide, they are also winning significant international accolades. Our goal is to produce 15-20 internationally-marketable feature films each year.”
A Singapore Pavilion will be set up at the Asian Film Market, the trade component of the Festival, to market Singapore titles.
The titles include “The Funeral Party”, directed by Glen Goei; “Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner”, a trilogy by Asian women directors Eva Tang, Anocha Suwichakornpong and Peng Shan; Brian Gothong Tan’s “Invisible Children” and Jack Neo’s “Money No Enough 2″. - CNA/ms
Channel News Asia
They Sing Song, Cry Cry
SINGAPORE : You are a nubile young beauty named Pitiful Lotus blessed with the voice of an angel and in possession of some strong getai stage prowess. But alas, you are constantly used and abused by the men in your life, from your good-for-nothing father to your heartless getai partner-turned-husband.
As you sing your way through the 12 increasingly woeful stages of your tragic life, you treat your audience to a cacophony of glittery costumes, shimmery song and dance routines, and a reality check of melancholy and infinite sadness.
This is the stuff soap operas, or in this case Royston Tan getai movies, are made of.
Like every Hokkien song worth its place on a karaoke most-played song list, “12 Lotus” is determined to hit that high note of tragedy every chest-thumping, heart-wrenching, cringe-worthy step of the way.
The celebrity director’s follow-up to last year’s smash hit “881″ is surprisingly - and refreshingly - far removed from his first getai flick. Going back to his indie-meets-local boy roots, “12 Lotus” is darker, more unsettling and way more melodramatic. Maybe a wee bit too dramatic, which leads to the occasional insufferably draggy scene.
The film does take its time in circling the drain near the end, but it also manages to walk the thin line between the verbosity of Lotus’ histrionics that border on parody and truly heartwarming tragic-comedy moments. Look beyond the pathos and you’ll see a well-shot story, held together by committed performancesall round. -
Channel News Asia
“12 Lotus” Is Royston Tan’s Last “Getai” Movie
SINGAPORE: “12 Lotus” is Singaporean film maker Royston Tan’s latest and last movie about “getai” - a live stage performance held during the 7th Lunar Month in Singapore.
The film, which premieres in Singapore on August 14, centres on talented singer Lian Hua, played by Mindee Ong. The cast also includes MediaCorp artist Qi Yu Wu.
Despite a similar storyline and cast, Tan said he was more adventurous in the use of dialect in his latest movie.
Tan, director of “12 Lotus”, said: “In 881, getai is the foreground. But in 12 Lotus, getai becomes background. I think 881 is more like experimentation to me - to see how I can fuse Hokkien songs and local cultures…
“But now, for 12 Lotus, I sort of take it to another level - using orchestra with Hokkien songs, and doing hip-hop with Hokkien songs. To me, it’s a much bigger playground.” - CNA /ls
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