Wong Kar Wai
Days of Being Wild | 1990, 94 minutes
Lonely twenty-somethings set in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Lush and moody—signature Wong Kar Wai.
—
Wednesday, August 25 | Available on: Criterion Collection | Trailer
(Other options: Happy Together / Chungking Express. Criterion Channel has em all.)
♦
In the Mood for Love | 2000, 98 minutes
Turns out it's a trilogy: A next-door neighbor affair.
—
Saturday, September 4 | Marina Del Rey
♦
2046 | 2004, 129 minutes
Picking up where In the Mood for Love ended: time travel and lonely forty-somethings set in Singapore and Hong Kong.
—
Thursday, December 16 | Koreatown
Yasmin Ahmad
2005, 104 minutes
Teenage love story between a Chinese boy and Malay girl set in Malaysia. Meet cute at a pirated CD kiosk. Rom-com trifecta: funny, sad, very sweet.
—
7pm, Friday, Feb 4th | Glassell Park | Available on: Youtube | Trailer
Only thing: quality of the Youtube file is not the best and the captions drop out for whole scenes heh
Ann Hui
1982, 106 minutes
A Japanese photojournalist goes to Vietnam to report on life after war.
—
| Available on: Criterion Collection | Trailer
I'd rather watch Song of the Exile, Hui's semi-autobiographical film about a daughter's return to Hong Kong from London, but can't find a way to watch it for the life of me
Tan Pin Pin
2005, 54 minutes
Documentary about the sounds of Singapore. Delightful and tuned-in to detail
—
| Available on: Vimeo ($1.99)
Other option: She also made Invisible City, a video essay on about disappearing and future cities. Also on Vimeo.
Cape No. 7, 2008, 128 minutes
Romantic-musical-comedy? Big box-office hit in Taiwan when it came out
—
Available on: Japanese Netflix?
If we can't find a way to watch it...
♦
Taipei Story, 1985, 110 minutes
A city caught between past and present.
—
| Available on: Criterion Collection
Definitely a completely different vibe than Cape No. 7
Nia Dinata
2003, 126 minutes
A in-the-closet architect making his way around the Jakarta socialite scene. Comedy.
—
| Available on: Youtube
This could be bad and really outdated. It was mad censored in Indonesia when it came out.
Tran Anh Hung
1993, 104 minutes
A young girl moves into a rich household as a servant. Slow and visually stunning.
—
| Available on: Kanopy
Note: Don't watch the trailer. It gives away too much
Jack Neo
2002, 105 minutes
Hilar movie about three young boys trying to make it through the EM3, the "stupid stream." Recommended by Ariel via Nick.
—
Available on: Youtube
One of Diaz's epics. He's known for his "slow cinema." Literally, this is one of his shorter films. One of his other films are up to 10 hours long.
Available on: Mubi
—
A young woman works at KFC, attends night school, and is trying to keep her family together. By another prominent filmaker from the Taiwanese New Wave cinema movement.
Available on: Kanopy
—
A young woman, Insiang, lives in the infamous Manila slum area, Tondo. Maybe too dark and brutal. The protagonist is raped by her mother's lover then seeks revenge
Available on: Criterion Collection
—
Two teenagers during the hottest month in the history of Singapore. A campy, motorcycle, kung-fu movie.
Not Available
—
A movie split in two parts: a doctor in a rural hospital, and then in an urban one. A tribute to the director's parents.
—
Three city people who live in the same apartment. Recommended by Borey!
Available on: Rent on Apple TV?
Movie nights at Division Place feature independently made films from and adjacent to Southeast Asia.
—
Resources → Southeast Asian Independent Cinema, Taiwan Cinema, Memory and Modernity
—
Credit → Initial curation by Joy / Jade (JJ). Hosted by JJ and Betty, and Alli. Site "hand-made" by JJ. Typeface is the lovely and free Junicode. Numbers taken from Jon Gacnik. Images from Mubi, Criterion Collection, and Google Search.