DIGITAL HOMELANDS SINGAPORE

Presented by the National Museum of Singapore

11 July – 30 September 2008

Launched in January 2008, Digital Homelands Singapore is a nation-wide project for Singaporeans and residents to share their memories and stories of places in Singapore that they have a special connection to through a short digital video.

A special four-screen display will be presented at the National Museum of Singapore from 11 July – 30 September to showcase some of these videos that you have created and shared with us.

From playground to barbershops and old cinema halls, these videos explored some of the familiar as well as unexpected places in Singapore and shows how our lives are intrically linked to the spaces that we occupy daily.

Surreal, quirky, meditative, funny and personal – these stories will inspire, surprise and move you.

World Cinema Series

A Programme of the National Museum Cinémathèque

Co-presented with the Singapore Film Society

Tue 8 July & Tue 12 Aug 08

7.30pm

Gallery Theatre, Basement

Free Admission for Singapore Film Society members

S$8 / S$6.40 concession

World Cinema Series is a monthly screening of works by the boldest and most inventive auteurs in the history of cinema.

On Top of the Whale / Het Dak van de Walvis

Tue 8 July 08

Dir: Raúl Ruiz

1982 / The Netherlands / 93 min / 16 mm / Rating TBC

English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and German with English subtitles

“One of the top ten films of the eighties” – Jim Jarmusch

In On Top of the Whale, a Dutch anthropologist couple meet a “communist millionaire” who tells them about his house in Patagonia with two Indian neighbours, the last survivors of a lost tribe. The couple accepts the millionaire’s offer to come live with him. In studying the Indians’ lives, various details emerge which completely confound the Europeans. As with other Ruiz films, On Top of the Whale is a puzzle with a solution, and a parable without morals. Ruiz is an original whose vast body of work marks him as one of the most intellectually challenging, politically savvy and hilarious filmmakers working today. 

Sandakan No. 8 / Sandakan Hachiban Shokan: Bohkyo

Tue 12 Aug 08

Dir: Kumai Kei

1974 / Japan / 121 min / 16 mm / Rating TBC

Japanese with English subtitles

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1974, Sandakan No. 8 is Japanese director Kumai Kei’s best-known work and it tells the moving story of the life of a karayuki-san (juvenile prostitute) in the Japanese colonies of Southeast Asia in the early twentieth century. Told through flashbacks and recollections of an old woman named Saki, the film is a thoughtful, uncompromising and compassionate account of the hardships that thousands of young Japanese girls suffered.

5^th singapore short cuts

A Programme of the National Museum Cinémathèque

Co-presented by National Museum of Singapore, The Substation and the Singapore Film Commission

Sat 12, 19, 26 July and 2 Aug 08

2.00 pm

Gallery Theatre, Basement

Free admission with tickets

In its fifth edition year, Singapore Short Cuts is one of the most popular and widely anticipated showcases of local short films in Singapore.

This year’s programme features new short films by acclaimed local filmmakers such as Kirsten Tan (Come), K. Rajagopal (The New World), Anthony Chen (Haze), and Boo Junfeng (Bedok Jetty) as well as premieres of outstanding work from new and upcoming filmmakers including Dreams of Youth by Daniel Hui and My Blue Heaven / 蓝蓝的天 by Yee-wei Chai.

In celebration of Singapore Short Cuts fifth year is a special screening on 12 July of some of the favourite Singapore Short Cuts films over the years.   

All screenings will be followed by discussions with the filmmakers.

Sat 12 July 08

2.00 pm

Lorong 27 by Kenny Tan                                    

Pontianak by Raihan Harun                   

Lim Poh Huat by Lee Wong

Embryo by Loo Zihan

Zo Gang + Zo Hee by Jacen Tan

(Duration: 80 min – Rating NC16)

Sat 19 July 08

2.00 pm

Wet Season / 水枪 by Michael Tay                                             

Reflections by Ho Tzu Nyen                                           

The New World by K. Rajagopal

My Blue Heaven / 蓝蓝的天 by Yee-wei Chai                                                                   

Dreams of Youth by Daniel Hui

(Duration: 75:25 min – Rating R21)

Sat 26 July 08

2.00 pm

Twogether by Victric Thng                                                          

Bedok Jetty by Boo Junfeng

Caramel /黑默糖by Kelvin Ke                                                     

Blank Rounds by Green Zeng                                        

Speakers Cornered by Martyn See

(Duration: 84 min – Rating TBC)

Sat 2 August 08

2.00 pm

Four Dishes by Leon Cheo                                             

Haze by Anthony Chen  

Love through the Ages / 被 骗 by Wendy Chee

Come by Kirsten Tan

Clouds in a Shell / 壳里的云 by Liao Jiekai          

(Duration: 76:40 min – M18)

ticketing information

Free tickets to the 5th Singapore Short Cuts can be collected at the National Museum of Singapore (Stamford Visitor Services Counter) on Saturday, a week before each weekend’s screening. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis, and limited to four per person. Any remaining tickets will be given out at the door on the screening day.

Sat 12 July screening (Tickets for collection from Sat 5 July)

Sat 19 July screening (Tickets for collection from Sat 12 July)

Sat 26 July screening (Tickets for collection from Sat 19 July)

Sat 2 August screening (Tickets for collection from Sat 26 July)

Under the Banyan Tree: Open Air Cinema

Stamford Garden

8pm

Free Admission

The popular Under the Banyan Tree outdoor screenings return to the National Museum this April! Celebrate the romance and magic of cinema with your family and friends in a refreshing open-air setting as we screen some of your favourite and most beloved movie classics.

Friday 25 July

Hairspray

Dir: Adam Shankman

2007 / USA / 117 min / 35 mm / PG

“One of the best Broadway-tuner adaptations in recent years” – Variety

Based on the 1988 John Waters’ cult classic, Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, who has only one passion—dancing. When her dream of becoming a regular personality on “The Corny Collins Show” comes true, she wins many fans and becomes an advocate for integration. Stars John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah and Christopher Walken.

Saturday 26 July

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Dir: Mel Stuart

1971 / USA / 100 min / 35 mm / PG

Before Tim Burton’s big screen version with Johnny Depp, is the original 1971 movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children novel directed by Mel Stuart. Every bit as entertaining now as it was when originally released, the movie exudes a timeless appeal, from the colourful and psychedelic splendour of its production design to the infectious melody of the songs like Oompa Loompa and Pure Imagination. Wonka's Chocolate Factory provides a dazzling parade of delights with Gene Wilder giving an unforgettable performance as the mysterious and whimsical candyman.

Friday 29 August

The Goonies

Dir: Richard Donner

1985 / USA / 114 min / 35 mm / PG

The Goonies is a classic, dazzling, fun-filled teen adventure epic produced by Steven Spielberg that has become a cult favourite through the years. When a greedy property developer threatened to force their families to move, a group of kids, who called themselves the Goonies, go in search of a legendary pirate treasure in the hopes of saving their homes. To find the treasure, they embark on a thrilling quest through secret waterfalls, aboard pirate ships, and underground passages filled with death traps.

Saturday 30 August

The NeverEnding Story

Dir: Wolfgang Petersen

1984 / USA, Germany / 104 min / 35 mm / PG

Enter a magical world where the strongest power is the power of the imagination. Bastian, a lonely schoolboy finds a book called “The Neverending Story” in his attic, and enters a world of flying dragons, swamp monsters and other fantastical creatures. To save the world and a beautiful child empress from destruction, Bastian must believe in the power of imagination and fantasy.

Friday 26 September

West Side Story

Dir: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

1961 / USA / 152 min / 35 mm / PG

Winner of ten Academy Awards including Best Picture, West Side Story is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s classic story about two young star-crossed lovers. Set in New York City, the movie stars Natalie Wood as Maria, a Puerto-Rican girl falls in love with Tony (played by Richard Beymer) from a rival street gang with tragic results. Filled with exhilarating choreography and memorable songs, West Side Story is a landmark musical that just gets better with age.

Saturday 27 September

The Sound of Music

Dir: Robert Wise

1965 / USA / 174 min / 35 mm / PG

The classic musical that everyone knows the songs to, The Sound of Music stars Julie Andrews as a good-natured novitiate who becomes governess to the children of a stern, widowed Austrian captain and ends up charming both her charges and their father. Based on the hit Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, this joyous and uplifting adaptation won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and features everyone’s favourite songs like Do Re Mi, Edelweiss, My Favourite Things, and the title tune.

Japanese Film Festival

Co-organised by The Embassy of Japan and the Singapore Film Society

22 – 31 August 2008

Gallery Theatre

The Embassy of Japan and the Singapore Film Society bring you another fine selection of the best of Japanese Cinema in this year's Japanese Film Festival, from 22 - 31 August 2008.

This year, we highlight the importance of the Woman in Japanese films -- heroine, antagonist, muse and more. Explore the exciting work of female director Kawase Naomi, one of Japan's most promising young directors and two-time award winner at Cannes - The Camera d'Or for Best New Director in 1997 (Moe no Suzaku) and the Grand Prix in 2007 (The Mourning Forest). We also pay homage to the work of master director Naruse Mikio and acclaimed actress-director Tanaka Kinuyo. With simplicity and great observation, Naruse mastered the shomin-geki -- films about the lower-middle class -- with unparallelled subtlety and compassion. Kurosawa Akira likened Naruse's style of melodrama to "a great river with a calm surface and a raging current in its depths". Tanaka began her film career as a leading actress and muse for several directors, especially Mizoguchi Kenji with whom she collaborated in 15 movies. In 1953, she became Japan's first female director with Love Letter.

Come join us in discovering the various influences of femininity on and behind the silver screen.

For more information and updates about the Japanese Film Festival, please logon to www.sfs.org.sg

China: Then & Now 从古到今

18 – 25 September 2008

11.00 am, 2.00 pm, 4.30 pm, 7.30 pm

Gallery Theatre, Basement

$8 / $6.40 Concession

Watch a selection of classic and contemporary Chinese films about China’s historical and social changes as seen through the eyes of children and young people. Some of the highlights include The Adventures of Sanmao / 三毛流浪记 (1949), 父与子Father and Son by Allen Fong (1981), and Electric Shadows / 梦影童年 (2004) by Xiao Jiang. The programme also includes a public symposium on Chinese cinema.

Schedule

Thursday 18 September

7.30 pm

Electric Shadows / 梦影童年 (Opening film)

Winner of the Audience Award at the Deauville Asian Film Festival, Electric Shadows is a moving story of childhood and movies reminiscent of Cinema Paradiso. Set in rural China during the Cultural Revolution, when outdoor cinemas enchanted China's masses and audiences breathed and dreamed as one, Electric Shadows tells of a young man and woman whose love of movies has shaped and guided their lives. A debut feature by director Xiao Jiang, the film also features an amazing selection of clips from classic Chinese films across different period of Chinese cinema.

Friday 19 September

7.30 pm

13 Princess Trees / 13棵泡桐

An unflinching look at the lives of a group of teenage delinquents, 13 Princess Trees is the directional debut of Lu Yue, one of China’s top cinematographer who is best known for his work with Zhang Yimou. Based on a story by He Dacao that has been called "China's Catcher in the Rye", the story centers around Feng, a teenage girl who runs with the tough crowd in school. Her world changes when she meets a new boy who is recently transferred to her school. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Tokyo International Film Festival.

Saturday 20 September

11.00 am

Shining Red Star / 闪闪的红星

Co-directed by Li Jun and Li Ang for the army’s August First Film Studio in 1974, this tale of a boy hero in the anti-Japanese war was typical of Maoist propaganda films during the Cultural Revolution period. Its young protagonist Pan Dongzi (‘Winter Boy’) was intended as a role-model for kids - and many kids in the audience revered him as such. One of the most famous of propaganda films for children during the Cultural Revolution, the film is an important historical record of the ideology of that era.

Saturday 20 September

2.00 pm

Public Symposium on Chinese Cinema 

Saturday 20 September

7.30 pm

Father and Son / 父子情

Directed by Allen Fong 方育平, Father and Son is a landmark in the Hong Kong New Wave depicting the autobiographical childhood of the director spent in the poor squatter area populated by the regional minority of Northerners. One of the most touching works of the period, it also has cult status among a certain age group in China. It was one of the very few Hong Kong films allowed to be screened publicly on mainland China during the 1980s, because it showed “the misery of life in HK’s capitalist society.’

Sunday 21 September

11.00 am

Uproar in Heaven / 大闹天宫

A classic of Chinese animation and winner of multiple awards internationally, Uproar in Heaven was made during the heyday of the Cultural Revolution, and has a pro-Leftist, anarchist undertone. Adapted from the great Chinese classical literature, Journey to the West, the film is often screened during Chinese New Year and is beloved by generations of Chinese children.

Sunday 21 September

2.00 pm

The Orphan /人海孤鸿

Starring a young Bruce Lee, The Orphan is a masterpiece by the auteur of Hong Kong Cantonese cinema Lee Sun Feng. The reflection of grassroots sensibilities, its nod to Italian neo-realism and the unique atmosphere of 1960s Hong Kong makes the film a must see.

Sunday 21 September

4.30 pm

The Adventures of Sanmao / 三毛流浪记

Set in the streets of Shanghai after WWII, The Adventures of Sanmao is a classic children’s film, and it stars Wan Lung-Chi in a feisty and unforgettable performance as the young vagabond. Reflecting the stark social realities and hardship of street children but full of warmth and humour at the same time, the film has won the hearts of both young and older audiences through the years. 

Sunday 21 September

7.30 pm

Little Cheung / 细路祥

Little Cheung is a moving social drama starring a ten year old Bruce Lee acting beside his own father. Later Fruit Chan would remake the film in with the same title as the final film in his loose trilogy about the 1997 Hong Kong handover.

Monday 22 September

7.30 pm

Little Moth / 血蝉

A heartbreaking story about two handicapped kids exploited for begging. Shot in a very gritty and independent filmmaking style, it won the NETPAC award at Locarno Film Festival.

Tuesday 23 September

7.30 pm

Though I Am Gone / 我虽死去

Devastating and personal documentary about a former loyal Communist party cadre, whose wife was beaten to death by Red Guards at the girls’ college where she was deputy headmistress. Shot in stark and beautiful B/W cinematography

Please Vote for Me / 请投我一票

Hilarious documentary about a primary school holding a voting campaign for class monitor. The film follows three candidates through the election process and throws light on Chinese society and asks the question of what might happen if democracy was applied in PRC.

Ticketing Information

Counter Sales

Stamford Visitor Counter: 10am – 7.30 pm

Canning Visitor Counter: 10am – 5pm

Concessions

Concession rates for most programmes are available to students (full-time, with valid student pass), senior (aged 60 years and above, with valid identity pass showing proof of age), NSF (with valid 11B pass), National Museum Members and for group bookings. Passes have to be presented when purchasing tickets.

Online Booking: www.nationalmuseum.sg

For ticketing information, please call (65) 6332 3659 or visit our website at www.nationalmuseum.sg

Film classification Guide

G – General

PG – Parental Guidance

NC16 – No children below 16 years

M18 – Mature 18 for persons 18 years and above

R21 – Restricted to persons 21 years and above

For the latest film ratings of our programmes, please log on to www.nationalmuseum.sg

Trying to refresh and revisit the joy of shooting nature within our busy schedule? I am suggesting to take a short and casual nature photograhy in Hutan Bandar this coming Saturday.