Singapore Dreaming
Encyclopedia
Singapore Dreaming is a 2006 film
set in Singapore
. The film follows the Loh family, a typical Singaporean working-class family, through their aspirations for a better life and the harsh reality that makes it difficult for them to fulfill these aspirations. The film is inspired by a 2000 essay
, Paved with Good Intentions, that the writers of the film had written for the Singapore International Foundation
. A concatenation of e-mail
s Singaporeans sent to writers Colin Goh
and Woo Yen Yen on their life stories in relation to the Singaporean dream eventually led them to write, produce and direct Singapore Dreaming. The film stars Richard Low
as Poh Huat, Alice Lim as Siew Luan, Serene Chen as Irene, Yeo Yann Yann
as Mei, Lim Yu-Beng as CK and Dick Su as Seng.
The film was theatrically released on 7 September 2006, and at one time ranked fifth on the Singapore box office
. It won the Montblanc New Screenwriters Award at the 54th San Sebastián International Film Festival
, and was the first Singaporean film to receive an IFFPA-recognised international feature film award. Owing to its nature as a Singapore-produced film, Singapore Dreaming received much attention from local viewers, film critics and public figures alike. It has received great praise from some local critics and public figures, most notably from Sellapan Ramanathan, the President of Singapore
, while responses from some other critics and viewers were lukewarm.
. He is married to Siew Luan (Alice Lim), a housewife
who likes to brew liang teh (herbal tea) for the family. Poh Huat has a habit of buying lottery
tickets in hope of winning and enjoying a better life. He also keeps newspaper cuttings of car model
s and condominium
s and stores them in a box in his room.
The family has one son, Seng (Dick Su), and one daughter, Mei (Yeo Yann Yann). Despite Mei's superior academic performance, the family has consistently shown favouritism for Seng. Even though he was ostensibly the academically poorer sibling, dropping out of school in Secondary 3
, his parents still chose to fund his overseas polytechnic
education instead of furthering his sister's education. Seng is due to return after two years at Idaho Polytechnical University. To fund his overseas studies, he had to borrow extra money from his fiancée, Irene (Serene Chen), who stays with Seng's parents.
Mei works as a secretary
who maintains a friendly working relationship with her boss. She is due for delivery
in two months' time, and for maternity leave in a month's time. Her husband, Chin Keong (Lim Yu-Beng), quit his job in the Singapore Armed Forces
a month before and is now selling insurance
, though unsuccessfully. He is therefore belittled by Mei. Even though they cannot afford it, they frequently go to a condominium showroom
to take a look, revealing their aspirations for a more luxurious lifestyle.
Seng returns from the United States
. Tensions escalate in the family between Mei and Seng, due to the family's apparent favouritism for Seng. Seng goes for several job interview
s, but is unsuccessful. He becomes immensely disappointed, and lies to his family about the sanguinity of his job prospects.
Poh Huat strikes the Toto
lottery, winning S$2 million, and the family is ecstatic. Seng decides that he wants to try starting a business. He gains his father's approval, who gives him effectively unlimited funding through a credit card
. Seng also buys a car, without Irene's knowledge. Irene is infuriated when she learns Seng has been overspending without working first.
Initially thrilled by his sudden elevation to the higher social class, Poh Huat dies suddenly of a heart attack while he was at a country club
for a membership interview. Siew Luan goes into shock. At the funeral
, Seng quarrels with Mei over the funeral expenses. Mei vents her anger on Chin Keong, who shows his displeasure by throwing the carton of drinks on the floor and storming off. Mei is called back to work one afternoon, even though she is still managing the funeral. Chin Keong expresses his outrage at this unreasonable request, but Mei says out of frustration, "Singapore is like that, everywhere is like that, do we have a choice?" and returns to work. At work, Mei's boss, frustrated at the incapable temporary secretary, vents his anger at Mei and demands her to photocopy a stack of documents and brew coffee for him. Mei flips at the triviality of the task.
Back at the funeral, Mei realizes that S$500 has gone missing from the pek kim, and wrongly accuses her Filipino
maid
, Pinky, of stealing the money. Chin Keong reveals shortly after that the money is actually with him. Pinky, indignant at the wrong accusation, spits at Mei. Chin Keong goes to a nearby coffee shop
for a drink. A beer girl from Mainland China
approaches him at his table to talk to him, and Chin Keong ends up confiding his worries about life. The girl notes, "You Singaporeans are always complaining. Do you think your life is tough?". During the funeral wake, Seng reveals to his family that he did not graduate. Initially unbeknownst to him, Irene is standing nearby at the door, and hears his confession. Irene is greatly disappointed with Seng, and resolves to leave him.
A few months later, Chin Keong, Seng and Mei, with her newly-born son, are called to a lawyer's office. It is revealed that Poh Huat's will
has been found (made before either of them are born): he had left all his assets to his wife Siew Luan. However, the family has chalked up a debt
of S$1.2 million in sending Seng overseas. Siew Luan is absent from the meeting, so the lawyer announces that, of the remaining S$800,000, Mei is getting S$300,000, while Seng is getting S$1,000. At the movie's end, Siew Luan hands some money over to Poh Huat's mistress and illegitimate son in a show of benevolence, and leaves Seng to stay in rural Malaysia. Irene decides to go abroad to pursue a degree in photography
.
, explained the difference between the Singapore Dream and the Singapore Plan, and discussed the source and fashion of many Singaporeans' aspirations. Paved with Good Intentions was later circulated round the Internet
, where many Singaporeans read the essay.
Confessional responses the couple received thereafter reached the hundreds. In a podcast
with mrbrown
, Woo explained the typical reader response was "How is it that I now have a house, I now have a car, a job, why I am still unhappy?" The couple "felt a responsibility to do something", which inspired them to write the film, the original working title of which was The 5Cs.
; Singapore Dreaming was the first Singaporean film to be digitally encoded and projected. It was also the first collaboration between Singaporean and New York film-makers; the Director of photography Martina Radwan, editor Rachel Kittner and sound design
er Paul Hsu were based in New York, along with the production staff, while composer
Sydney Tan was based in Singapore.
Singapore Dreaming was an independent, low-budget production, costing only S$800 000 in total to produce — 80% of which was raised by Executive Producer Woffles Wu. The film was Woffles Wu's first production, and the Colin Goh–Woo Yen Yen team's second. The rigors of production forced Producer Woo Yen Yen to take a no-pay leave from her job as an assistant professor.
Filming began in August 2005, with the scenes in the house shot in an actual 3-room HDB flat in a bid for authenticity. This led to situations in which the cast and crew had to squeeze into the rooms in the small flat for hours on end. The team also had to endure heat and stuffy conditions, especially during the scene in which the family shared steamboat
in the living room.
In an attempt at authenticity and realism, the producers allowed the characters speak in a mix of Hokkien, English and Mandarin, in the typical Singaporean manner. The film would later be subtitled
in English and Mandarin during post-production so that the audience would be able to understand the characters' lexicon without knowing how the average Singaporean speaks.
Unlike in larger productions, the team of directors had to assume numerous roles during the independent production, some of which included the transportation of furniture and buying drinking water for the crew during the shoot. Colin Goh and Steven Chin, the assistant director, also had to take the unusual step of staging a fight to distract curious passers-by and prevent them from gathering round when they were shooting a certain scene. After the filming was complete, the movie was digitally encoded in New York and digitally projected at a number of select cinemas.
The characters of the film were based on the experiences of the people around the writers, that of the writers themselves, and on the e-mail responses that they received to their essay.
premiere
s. The first, on 12 April 2006 at Lido, was a pre-opener to the Singapore International Film Festival
. Tickets were sold at $15 and all proceeds went to the Festival. The tickets were sold out by 6.00 pm on the day they were released. Among the guests were public figures including president Sellapan Ramanathan and wife, Foreign Minister George Yeo
and Opposition Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong
. Directors like Jack Neo
and Eric Khoo
also attended this premiere. A total of about 700 people attended the event.
The second charity premiere was on 30 August 2006, and the beneficiary was the Association of Women for Action and Research. The producers organized a Teachers' Day Giveaway, allowing students to nominate teachers for a free screening. In total, 100 pairs of tickets were given away this way. The audience filled up all five cinema halls at GV
Grand at Great World City. Like the first premiere, the event was sold-out.
screens and selected Shaw and Eng Wah screens.
The producers were initially concerned about the small independent film lasting in the cinemas with the influx of American blockbusters
. Thus, the producers continually urged on the film's blog for those interested to watch the film as early as possible, in case of a short theatrical run. These concerns were mirrored by at least one movie reviewer. However, the film's theatrical run was to continue for eight weeks; it outlasted all other films that opened in the same week. After a hiatus of a few weeks, the film reopened transiently at GV VivoCity.
in local newspapers to advertise the film. The last print advertisement appeared in local newspapers on 16 September 2006, the tenth day after the release of the film.
Due to the small advertising budget, however, a large part of the film's advertising took place through the Internet. For instance, the film's directors spoke directly to the viewers through their blog
to advertise the film through word-of-mouth. In particular, they instructed viewers to tell at least ten friends about the film. The producers also appeared on the 6 September 2006 release of the mrbrown show
and, in a 31-minute podcast
, shared with the audience the production of the film.
As further publicity for the film, Colin Goh uploaded three trailers of the film onto YouTube
to raise awareness and interest about the movie. By 15 August 2006, the trailers had 7000 views in total, and one of them had 4000 views. The producers also advertised the film through TalkingCock, a satirical website that they own, by posting articles and updates on the film's development.
, the first being the Moutblanc New Screenwriter's Award (the third ever awarded in the annual festival), and the second being the Altadis-New Directors Award. This film lost the latter award to Fair Play, but bagged the Moutblanc New Screenwriter's Award. There were eighteen films in competition for the screenwriter
's award. The directors did not submit the films directly to San Sebastian at first. Instead, they sent preview screeners to solicit comments on the film from their friends in New York. The film was spread around resulting in it being nominated for the film festival.
The feature film is the first Singaporean film to be in competition for the two awards at the IFFPA-recognized San Sebastian International Film Festival. Moreover, while other Singaporean films (like those directed by Eric Khoo
and Royston Tan
) have won awards at other international film festival
s before, those are either not recognized by IFFPA, or are categorized by them as "specialized". The "specialized" tag means that, as The Straits Times explains, "they focus on a particular aspect of film or film-making". The film thus has the added honour of being the first Singaporean film to receive an award at an IFFPA-recognised international feature film festival.
On Sunday, 28 October 2007 Singapore Dreaming snagged the Best Asian/Middle-Eastern Film Award at the 20th Tokyo International Film Festival, beating competing films such as Exodus by Hong Kong director Pang Ho Cheung and starring Simon Yam; Breath by South Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk; Mad Detective by Hong Kong's Johnny To; and A Few Days Later by Iranian superstar Niki Karimi. The Tokyo International Film Festival is one of the world's most important film festivals, and Singapore Dreaming is the first Singapore feature to win this award. [Channel News Asia/TODAY]
was released by BooBao Records in June 2006. It comprises various songs and tunes that were featured in the movie, most of which were composed by the music director for the film, Sydney Tan. Stephen Hough
is also listed as one of the soundtrack's composers. The soundtrack album, containing both emotive and entertaining pieces, shows a variation in the mood of the songs.
Of particular prominence in the soundtrack is the 1933 Taiwan
ese song "Bāng Chhun-hong". As the producers were writing the script in New York, Woo Yen Yen called her mother to ask her about the most popular song of her time. Her mother's first suggestion was "Bong Chun Hong", a song which the producers came to like. The song was later adopted as the opening theme, and the character Siew Luan would hum it again as the film concludes, this time more wistfully as she would recount the days when she was young. The internet trailer also features two renditions of the song, a vocal and a piano
rendition. Four major and three minor variations of "Bong Chun Hong" were included in the soundtrack.
"Bong Chun Hong" is so popular in Taiwan that it has been described as "their unofficial second national anthem". As Moviexclusive describes Sydney Tan's score, "the […] use of pianos and strings
is complemented by the occasional wistful accompaniments of the traditional erhu
, adding the essential 'Asian touch' to the music."
The film's soundtrack also includes two songs by the local band
Ronin
, "Black Maria" and "Memories". It also includes "Mei Man Ren Sheng", a song that shares its title with the film. The tune was rearranged by Sydney Tan and performed by Nicole Lai
(who died on 6 September 2008), with lyrics in Chinese by Ng King Kang. The film's producer, Woffles Wu, did the backing vocals
for the recording.
.
The film was the fifth at the local box office for the week the film opened. In its second week, the film dropped to the sixth position, and in its third week, to the eighth position. From the fourth week onwards to the end of the film's theatrical run, it ceased to appear in Singapore's top ten charts.
and VCD
in Singapore around 23 November 2006.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
set in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The film follows the Loh family, a typical Singaporean working-class family, through their aspirations for a better life and the harsh reality that makes it difficult for them to fulfill these aspirations. The film is inspired by a 2000 essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, Paved with Good Intentions, that the writers of the film had written for the Singapore International Foundation
Singapore International Foundation
The Singapore International Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities....
. A concatenation of e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s Singaporeans sent to writers Colin Goh
Colin Goh
Colin Goh is a Singaporean film maker, satirist and cartoonist. He was a former practicing attorney who has turned to full-time writing and illustration....
and Woo Yen Yen on their life stories in relation to the Singaporean dream eventually led them to write, produce and direct Singapore Dreaming. The film stars Richard Low
Richard Low
Richard Low , also known as Richard Low Qianyi or Richard Liu Qianyi; also spelled as Richard Loh, is a Singaporean Chinese veteran MediaCorp TV Channel 8 actor. He used to be typecast as villains or characters with unruly behaviour...
as Poh Huat, Alice Lim as Siew Luan, Serene Chen as Irene, Yeo Yann Yann
Yeo Yann Yann
Yeo Yann Yann is a Singapore-based actress. A pioneer-graduate of The Theatre Training and Research Programme , she has worked in theatre, television, and film; recent performances include Singapore Dreaming , Thunderstorm 雷雨 and a movie in August 2007, 881...
as Mei, Lim Yu-Beng as CK and Dick Su as Seng.
The film was theatrically released on 7 September 2006, and at one time ranked fifth on the Singapore box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
. It won the Montblanc New Screenwriters Award at the 54th San Sebastián International Film Festival
San Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
, and was the first Singaporean film to receive an IFFPA-recognised international feature film award. Owing to its nature as a Singapore-produced film, Singapore Dreaming received much attention from local viewers, film critics and public figures alike. It has received great praise from some local critics and public figures, most notably from Sellapan Ramanathan, the President of Singapore
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
, while responses from some other critics and viewers were lukewarm.
Plot summary
Poh Huat (Richard Low), the father of the Loh family, works as a lawyer's clerkLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
. He is married to Siew Luan (Alice Lim), a housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
who likes to brew liang teh (herbal tea) for the family. Poh Huat has a habit of buying lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
tickets in hope of winning and enjoying a better life. He also keeps newspaper cuttings of car model
Car model
An automobile model is a particular brand of vehicle sold under a marque by a manufacturer, usually within a range of models, usually of different sizes or capabilities...
s and condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s and stores them in a box in his room.
The family has one son, Seng (Dick Su), and one daughter, Mei (Yeo Yann Yann). Despite Mei's superior academic performance, the family has consistently shown favouritism for Seng. Even though he was ostensibly the academically poorer sibling, dropping out of school in Secondary 3
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, his parents still chose to fund his overseas polytechnic
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
education instead of furthering his sister's education. Seng is due to return after two years at Idaho Polytechnical University. To fund his overseas studies, he had to borrow extra money from his fiancée, Irene (Serene Chen), who stays with Seng's parents.
Mei works as a secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
who maintains a friendly working relationship with her boss. She is due for delivery
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
in two months' time, and for maternity leave in a month's time. Her husband, Chin Keong (Lim Yu-Beng), quit his job in the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
a month before and is now selling insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, though unsuccessfully. He is therefore belittled by Mei. Even though they cannot afford it, they frequently go to a condominium showroom
Showroom
The word showroom has two distinct meanings including:-Marketing location:A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, such as automobiles, furniture, appliances, carpet or apparel. The World's most famous locations for a showroom are the Champs Elysees in Paris or the 5th Avenue...
to take a look, revealing their aspirations for a more luxurious lifestyle.
Seng returns from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Tensions escalate in the family between Mei and Seng, due to the family's apparent favouritism for Seng. Seng goes for several job interview
Job interview
A job interview is a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an employer for prospective employment in their company, organization, or firm. During this process, the employer hopes to determine whether or not the applicant is suitable for the job.-Role:A job interview typically...
s, but is unsuccessful. He becomes immensely disappointed, and lies to his family about the sanguinity of his job prospects.
Poh Huat strikes the Toto
Toto (gaming)
TOTO is a legalized form of lottery sold in Singapore, known by different names elsewhere. Singapore Pools is the only legal lottery operator in Singapore. It was established on 23 May 1968 to control widespread illegal gambling in Singapore during the 1960s....
lottery, winning S$2 million, and the family is ecstatic. Seng decides that he wants to try starting a business. He gains his father's approval, who gives him effectively unlimited funding through a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
. Seng also buys a car, without Irene's knowledge. Irene is infuriated when she learns Seng has been overspending without working first.
Initially thrilled by his sudden elevation to the higher social class, Poh Huat dies suddenly of a heart attack while he was at a country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
for a membership interview. Siew Luan goes into shock. At the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
, Seng quarrels with Mei over the funeral expenses. Mei vents her anger on Chin Keong, who shows his displeasure by throwing the carton of drinks on the floor and storming off. Mei is called back to work one afternoon, even though she is still managing the funeral. Chin Keong expresses his outrage at this unreasonable request, but Mei says out of frustration, "Singapore is like that, everywhere is like that, do we have a choice?" and returns to work. At work, Mei's boss, frustrated at the incapable temporary secretary, vents his anger at Mei and demands her to photocopy a stack of documents and brew coffee for him. Mei flips at the triviality of the task.
Back at the funeral, Mei realizes that S$500 has gone missing from the pek kim, and wrongly accuses her Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
, Pinky, of stealing the money. Chin Keong reveals shortly after that the money is actually with him. Pinky, indignant at the wrong accusation, spits at Mei. Chin Keong goes to a nearby coffee shop
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
for a drink. A beer girl from Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
approaches him at his table to talk to him, and Chin Keong ends up confiding his worries about life. The girl notes, "You Singaporeans are always complaining. Do you think your life is tough?". During the funeral wake, Seng reveals to his family that he did not graduate. Initially unbeknownst to him, Irene is standing nearby at the door, and hears his confession. Irene is greatly disappointed with Seng, and resolves to leave him.
A few months later, Chin Keong, Seng and Mei, with her newly-born son, are called to a lawyer's office. It is revealed that Poh Huat's will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
has been found (made before either of them are born): he had left all his assets to his wife Siew Luan. However, the family has chalked up a debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
of S$1.2 million in sending Seng overseas. Siew Luan is absent from the meeting, so the lawyer announces that, of the remaining S$800,000, Mei is getting S$300,000, while Seng is getting S$1,000. At the movie's end, Siew Luan hands some money over to Poh Huat's mistress and illegitimate son in a show of benevolence, and leaves Seng to stay in rural Malaysia. Irene decides to go abroad to pursue a degree in photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
.
Development
The development of Singapore Dreaming began in 2000 when New York-based couple Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen wrote an essay for Singaporeans Exposed, a publication to commemorate the Singapore International Foundation's ten-year anniversary. The 5200-word essay, Paved with Good IntentionsThe road to hell is paved with good intentions
The road to hell is paved with good intentions is a proverb or aphorism.An alternative form of the proverb is "hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works".-Origin:...
, explained the difference between the Singapore Dream and the Singapore Plan, and discussed the source and fashion of many Singaporeans' aspirations. Paved with Good Intentions was later circulated round the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, where many Singaporeans read the essay.
Confessional responses the couple received thereafter reached the hundreds. In a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
with mrbrown
Mrbrown
Lee Kin Mun , aka mrbrown, is a Singaporean blogger well known for his social and political commentary amidst Singapore's tight media restrictions. Affectionately known by many as Singapore's "Blogfather", mrbrown is one of the more notable bloggers in the Singaporean blogosphere. His podcast...
, Woo explained the typical reader response was "How is it that I now have a house, I now have a car, a job, why I am still unhappy?" The couple "felt a responsibility to do something", which inspired them to write the film, the original working title of which was The 5Cs.
Production
The film was a number of firsts in the film industryFilm industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
; Singapore Dreaming was the first Singaporean film to be digitally encoded and projected. It was also the first collaboration between Singaporean and New York film-makers; the Director of photography Martina Radwan, editor Rachel Kittner and sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
er Paul Hsu were based in New York, along with the production staff, while composer
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
Sydney Tan was based in Singapore.
Singapore Dreaming was an independent, low-budget production, costing only S$800 000 in total to produce — 80% of which was raised by Executive Producer Woffles Wu. The film was Woffles Wu's first production, and the Colin Goh–Woo Yen Yen team's second. The rigors of production forced Producer Woo Yen Yen to take a no-pay leave from her job as an assistant professor.
Filming began in August 2005, with the scenes in the house shot in an actual 3-room HDB flat in a bid for authenticity. This led to situations in which the cast and crew had to squeeze into the rooms in the small flat for hours on end. The team also had to endure heat and stuffy conditions, especially during the scene in which the family shared steamboat
Hot pot
Hot pot , less commonly Chinese fondue or steamboat, refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table...
in the living room.
In an attempt at authenticity and realism, the producers allowed the characters speak in a mix of Hokkien, English and Mandarin, in the typical Singaporean manner. The film would later be subtitled
Subtitle (captioning)
Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
in English and Mandarin during post-production so that the audience would be able to understand the characters' lexicon without knowing how the average Singaporean speaks.
Unlike in larger productions, the team of directors had to assume numerous roles during the independent production, some of which included the transportation of furniture and buying drinking water for the crew during the shoot. Colin Goh and Steven Chin, the assistant director, also had to take the unusual step of staging a fight to distract curious passers-by and prevent them from gathering round when they were shooting a certain scene. After the filming was complete, the movie was digitally encoded in New York and digitally projected at a number of select cinemas.
Cast
A team of local actors composed the cast for Singapore Dreaming. Some casting decisions were made when the producers were penning the script in New York while others were made in Singapore.The characters of the film were based on the experiences of the people around the writers, that of the writers themselves, and on the e-mail responses that they received to their essay.
- Richard LowRichard LowRichard Low , also known as Richard Low Qianyi or Richard Liu Qianyi; also spelled as Richard Loh, is a Singaporean Chinese veteran MediaCorp TV Channel 8 actor. He used to be typecast as villains or characters with unruly behaviour...
as Poh Huat: MediaCorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
actor Richard Low had a role in one of the MediaCorp productions that was filming during the time Singapore Dreaming was set to film. However, he was not engaged as his character in that production was in coma. In the film, Poh Huat is the patriarch of the Loh family. He persistently favours and sides with his son, Seng over his daughter, Mei. Like the rest of the family, he yearns for a better life and, in particular, for a car and a country clubCountry clubA country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
membership. - Alice Lim as Siew Luan: Alice Lim was one of the actresses that were cast later. She is the first female MC for major events in Singapore, and used to be active in the 1970s. The directors admired her 'beautiful' delivery of HokkienMin NanThe Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
in the film. In the film, Siew Luan married Poh Huat when she was young and remained a housewifeHousewifeHousewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
ever since. She is seen to brew bottles of herbal tea perpetually (for members of the family, which, except for Irene, tend to reject them). She shares part of her life story with the audience as the film concludes. - Serene Chen as Irene: The producers had a good relationship with Serene Chen from their previous work together on an earlier production, 3Meals. They planned to cast Serene Chen early on, during the initial script-writing. In the film, Serene plays the live-in fiancée of Seng, Irene. Irene is deeply attached to Seng and hankers for a marriageMarriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
with him in the beginning of the film. She, together with Poh Huat, funded his overseas studies. Irene is also very close to Siew Luan. - Yeo Yann YannYeo Yann YannYeo Yann Yann is a Singapore-based actress. A pioneer-graduate of The Theatre Training and Research Programme , she has worked in theatre, television, and film; recent performances include Singapore Dreaming , Thunderstorm 雷雨 and a movie in August 2007, 881...
as Mei: Although the producers were unacquainted with Yann Yann, they used her face as a reference when writing for the character, Mei. Back in Singapore, Yann Yann accepted their offer to cast as Mei. In the film, Mei is the underappreciated daughter of the family, married to CK, whom she occasionally henpecks. Indignant that Seng was sent overseas when she was the one whose academic performance was more distinguished, she bears a patent grudge against Seng. - Lim Yu-Beng as CK: The part of CK was written for Lim Yu-Beng, who agreed to join the film's production. In the film, CK resigned as an army officer and turned to selling insurance, a career at which he does not appear to be successful.
- Dick Su as Seng: Dick Su was involved in the production only after Serene Chen brought him in. In the film, Seng is the son in the family, who failed in graduating from his overseas studies. There were times when he tries to convince his family, especially his father, that he can succeed in life. Unfortunately, his plans never seem to work out and he ends up disappointing the people around him.
Premieres
Before being commercially released, Singapore Dreaming was screened at two charityCharity (virtue)
In Christian theology charity, or love , means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others.The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.- Caritas: altruistic love :...
premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
s. The first, on 12 April 2006 at Lido, was a pre-opener to the Singapore International Film Festival
Singapore International Film Festival
The Singapore International Film Festival was launched in 1987. The festival is an annual film event, held around April/May each year, and screens about 300 films from over 45 countries...
. Tickets were sold at $15 and all proceeds went to the Festival. The tickets were sold out by 6.00 pm on the day they were released. Among the guests were public figures including president Sellapan Ramanathan and wife, Foreign Minister George Yeo
George Yeo
George Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs...
and Opposition Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
. Directors like Jack Neo
Jack Neo
Jack Neo Chee Keong , PBM, credited as Jack Neo on screen, is a Chinese Singaporean film and television actor, host and director...
and Eric Khoo
Eric Khoo
Eric Khoo is a film director from Singapore. He was introduced to the world of cinema at a very early age. He was educated at United World College of South East Asia before attending City Art Institute in Sydney, Australia where he pursued cinematography...
also attended this premiere. A total of about 700 people attended the event.
The second charity premiere was on 30 August 2006, and the beneficiary was the Association of Women for Action and Research. The producers organized a Teachers' Day Giveaway, allowing students to nominate teachers for a free screening. In total, 100 pairs of tickets were given away this way. The audience filled up all five cinema halls at GV
Golden Village
Golden Village is a cinema operator based in Singapore which is a joint venture by Golden Harvest of Hong Kong and Village Roadshow of Australia. It operates nine multiplexes and cineplexes in the country including a largest cineplex at VivoCity. It joined hands to open a cinema at Great World...
Grand at Great World City. Like the first premiere, the event was sold-out.
Commercial release
Sneak previews began on 1 September 2006 while the film was commercially released on 7 September 2006. The film opened on a total of eighteen screens islandwide, which encompasses all GV and CathayCathay Organisation
Cathay Organisation Holdings Limited is one of Singapore's leading leisure and entertainment groups. It has the first THX cinema hall and digital cinema in Singapore. The group has operations in Singapore and Malaysia.-The early years:...
screens and selected Shaw and Eng Wah screens.
The producers were initially concerned about the small independent film lasting in the cinemas with the influx of American blockbusters
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
. Thus, the producers continually urged on the film's blog for those interested to watch the film as early as possible, in case of a short theatrical run. These concerns were mirrored by at least one movie reviewer. However, the film's theatrical run was to continue for eight weeks; it outlasted all other films that opened in the same week. After a hiatus of a few weeks, the film reopened transiently at GV VivoCity.
Advertising
The directors, with their limited funds, put print advertisementsAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
in local newspapers to advertise the film. The last print advertisement appeared in local newspapers on 16 September 2006, the tenth day after the release of the film.
Due to the small advertising budget, however, a large part of the film's advertising took place through the Internet. For instance, the film's directors spoke directly to the viewers through their blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
to advertise the film through word-of-mouth. In particular, they instructed viewers to tell at least ten friends about the film. The producers also appeared on the 6 September 2006 release of the mrbrown show
The mrbrown show
the mrbrown show is a Singaporean podcast with the slogan "Singapore's Favourite Podcast". The weekly episodes consists of lively, satirical audio skits and occasional interviews with guests, as well as original songs...
and, in a 31-minute podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, shared with the audience the production of the film.
As further publicity for the film, Colin Goh uploaded three trailers of the film onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
to raise awareness and interest about the movie. By 15 August 2006, the trailers had 7000 views in total, and one of them had 4000 views. The producers also advertised the film through TalkingCock, a satirical website that they own, by posting articles and updates on the film's development.
Award and nominations
Singapore Dreaming competed for two awards in the Zalbaltegi section of the San Sebastián International Film FestivalSan Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
, the first being the Moutblanc New Screenwriter's Award (the third ever awarded in the annual festival), and the second being the Altadis-New Directors Award. This film lost the latter award to Fair Play, but bagged the Moutblanc New Screenwriter's Award. There were eighteen films in competition for the screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
's award. The directors did not submit the films directly to San Sebastian at first. Instead, they sent preview screeners to solicit comments on the film from their friends in New York. The film was spread around resulting in it being nominated for the film festival.
The feature film is the first Singaporean film to be in competition for the two awards at the IFFPA-recognized San Sebastian International Film Festival. Moreover, while other Singaporean films (like those directed by Eric Khoo
Eric Khoo
Eric Khoo is a film director from Singapore. He was introduced to the world of cinema at a very early age. He was educated at United World College of South East Asia before attending City Art Institute in Sydney, Australia where he pursued cinematography...
and Royston Tan
Royston Tan
Royston Tan is a Singaporean filmmaker.Tan is a graduate from Temasek Polytechnic, where he took a course in Visual Communication. He first came into prominence through his short films: Sons , Hock Hiap Leong , 48 on AIDS , Mother and 15...
) have won awards at other international film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s before, those are either not recognized by IFFPA, or are categorized by them as "specialized". The "specialized" tag means that, as The Straits Times explains, "they focus on a particular aspect of film or film-making". The film thus has the added honour of being the first Singaporean film to receive an award at an IFFPA-recognised international feature film festival.
On Sunday, 28 October 2007 Singapore Dreaming snagged the Best Asian/Middle-Eastern Film Award at the 20th Tokyo International Film Festival, beating competing films such as Exodus by Hong Kong director Pang Ho Cheung and starring Simon Yam; Breath by South Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk; Mad Detective by Hong Kong's Johnny To; and A Few Days Later by Iranian superstar Niki Karimi. The Tokyo International Film Festival is one of the world's most important film festivals, and Singapore Dreaming is the first Singapore feature to win this award. [Channel News Asia/TODAY]
Soundtrack
The Singapore Dreaming soundtrackFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was released by BooBao Records in June 2006. It comprises various songs and tunes that were featured in the movie, most of which were composed by the music director for the film, Sydney Tan. Stephen Hough
Stephen Hough
Stephen Andrew Gill Hough is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality .-Biography:...
is also listed as one of the soundtrack's composers. The soundtrack album, containing both emotive and entertaining pieces, shows a variation in the mood of the songs.
Of particular prominence in the soundtrack is the 1933 Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese song "Bāng Chhun-hong". As the producers were writing the script in New York, Woo Yen Yen called her mother to ask her about the most popular song of her time. Her mother's first suggestion was "Bong Chun Hong", a song which the producers came to like. The song was later adopted as the opening theme, and the character Siew Luan would hum it again as the film concludes, this time more wistfully as she would recount the days when she was young. The internet trailer also features two renditions of the song, a vocal and a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
rendition. Four major and three minor variations of "Bong Chun Hong" were included in the soundtrack.
"Bong Chun Hong" is so popular in Taiwan that it has been described as "their unofficial second national anthem". As Moviexclusive describes Sydney Tan's score, "the […] use of pianos and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
is complemented by the occasional wistful accompaniments of the traditional erhu
Erhu
The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
, adding the essential 'Asian touch' to the music."
The film's soundtrack also includes two songs by the local band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Ronin
Ronin (band)
Ronin is a rock band based in Singapore. They are infamous for their live performances and being one of the few high profile rock bands around. Before their entry to the mainstream market, the band launched a self-released EP which included 5 songs, and later released an LP which was hugely...
, "Black Maria" and "Memories". It also includes "Mei Man Ren Sheng", a song that shares its title with the film. The tune was rearranged by Sydney Tan and performed by Nicole Lai
Nicole Lai
Nicole Lai was a singer-songwriter, backing vocalist, vocal trainer and performer in the Republic of Singapore. She died in September 2008 at Singapore General Hospital....
(who died on 6 September 2008), with lyrics in Chinese by Ng King Kang. The film's producer, Woffles Wu, did the backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for the recording.
Box office and rankings
As of 2 October 2006, three-and-a-half weeks after its local commercial release, Singapore Dreaming grossed S$420 000 from the local box office. (Compare this to its S$800 000 production cost.) The producers claim the film to be the highest grossing Singapore film produced in the past eight years not produced by MediaCorp or MediaCorp Raintree PicturesMediaCorp Raintree Pictures
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures is a film production company based in Singapore. The company, a division of MediaCorp Group, was established in 31 March 1996. The company occasionally ties up with other film companies to produce Asian or Western films...
.
The film was the fifth at the local box office for the week the film opened. In its second week, the film dropped to the sixth position, and in its third week, to the eighth position. From the fourth week onwards to the end of the film's theatrical run, it ceased to appear in Singapore's top ten charts.
DVD/VCD release
Singapore Dreaming was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and VCD
Video CD
Before the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD became the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm optical discs. The format is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc...
in Singapore around 23 November 2006.
External links
- Official Singapore Dreaming site
- Singapore Dreaming blog
- Singapore Dreaming at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Blog of producers Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen