Violence, the Supernatural and Exoticism in Singapore Cinema - 31 Aug 2006

The Asia Research Institute, for its 2006 series of seminars, has chosen to tackle "Violence in Contemporary Asian Films". Singapore's turn is next, on 31st August.

That such a seminar could take place is a sign that enough material has accumulated over the years for academics to sift through we now have some sort of a film industry. Or do we?

Violence, the Supernatural and Exoticism in Singapore Cinema

Kenneth Paul Tan
Assistant Professor, Political Science Department, National University of Singapore
The Salon, National Museum of Singapore
7pm - 9pm

Kenneth Paul Tan discusses how depictions of violence in Singapore cinema have reflected social-structural modes of violence in Singapore, including themes like urbanization and the loss of organic traditions in Tan Pin Pin's Moving House (2002) and the repressive and destructive power of capitalism in Eric Khoo's 12 Storeys (1997). He also discusses, via Ong Lay Jinn's Return to Pontianak (2001), Victor Khoo's Tiger's Whip (1998), and Kelvin Tong's The Maid (2005), the cultural ambiguities and anxieties of post-colonial modernization that underlie Singapore's struggles and strategies to locate itself as "Western", "East Asian", or "Southeast Asian". (click for more)

Speaking of spooky stuff, Cine Singapore will screen Return to Pontianak on Nov 1 and Medium Rare on Nov 29.