SNOW IN MIDSUMMER
Genre
Drama and Historical
Running time
116 minutes
Year
2023
Language
Mandarin, Malay and Yue (inc. Cantonese)
Subtitle
English
Country
Malaysia, Taiwan R.O.C. and Singapore
Director
Keat Aun Chong
Bio
Producer
Albert Yao, Gene Yao, Kew Soon Wong, Wai Thong Chow, Jennifer Jao
Cast
Wan Fang, Pearlly Chua, Rexen Cheng, Pauline Tan, Peter Yu, Alvin Wong
Scriptwriter
Keat Aun Chong
On May 13, 1969, Ah Eng and her mother go to see the Chinese opera The Injustice to Dou E, a 13th-century story of a wrongly convicted woman who calls down dreadful weather events on her executioners. That night, sectarian riots between Malays and ethnic Chinese erupt, killing 196 people while the girl and her mother hide behind the stage all night, emerging to find the rest of their family is dead. In a second chapter set 50 years later, Ah Eng returns to the district to try to find traces of this traumatic history. Everything has changed – even graves are being ripped up – but some unexpected encounters reveal how deeply past events have seared and scarred the present.
Other movies
MY FRIEND AN DELIE
Director: Zijian Dong
This remarkable adaptation of Shuang Xuetao’s novel is the debut film from actor-turned-director Dong Zijian that flashes back and forth in time to tell a touching story of friendship and family strife. Following his father’s death, Limo (Liu Haoran) is flying back to his hometown in northeastern China, when he spots his childhood friend An Delie (played by director Zijian) (Dong) on the plane, who fails to recognise him. When their flight is diverted because of heavy snow, the duo go on a journey that brings back long-forgotten memories in which Limo has to deal with the demons from his past. Beautifully photographed by Pema Tsedan across two time periods, the film shows the long-term emotional impact of the traumas of our childhood.
THE SANDCASTLE
Director: Matty Brown
A family of four finds themselves stuck on a picturesque island hiding a shocking reality. What starts as child’s play and simple ways to pass the time begins to uncover dark secrets that they struggle to keep from the youngest, Jana. As events spiral out of control and the line between reality and fiction blurs, how will Jana and her family cope with the consequences and the tough choices they must face?
RAVENS
Director: Mark Gill
Acclaimed Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, who died in 2012, was best known in his lifetime for his photographic book The Solitude of Ravens (1976-82), with its bleak images of distant birds evoking themes of isolation and tragedy. That work was his response to his divorce from his second wife of 13 years, Yoko Wanibe, which left him devastated. During their tumultuous years together, he photographed her constantly; she was a model, collaborator and object of his obsession. Tadanobu Asano, who was Emmy-nominated for Shogun, plays Fukase in this intense portrait of a passionate man caught in a love triangle between his wife and his art, incarnated here as a talking raven – a humorous touch to this profound exploration of love and loss.
