For just over a month, filmophiles will be able to get their fill of powerful films specially curated by the Asian Film Archive (AFA) for Singular Screens. Now in its third edition, Singular Screens is the film component of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), and showcases “some of the best and boldest voices in the world of film”, says festival director Gaurav Kripalani.
The films, which come from all over the world, span wide-ranging themes. Opening film About Endlessness by Swedish film director Roy Andersson explores the vulnerability of existence in its beauty and cruelty, its splendour and banality. Cemetery by Paris-based Spanish filmmaker and visual artist Carlos Casas is a culmination of 10 years of painstaking field recordings and arresting soundscapes. The immersive film follows the journey of an elephant, a mahout as well as the pursuing poachers through the Sri Lankan jungle toward the mythical elephants’ graveyard.
“Whilst each film in the programme is unique, they are united by their profound explorations of life, death and rebirth. Often meditative, they give us pause to ponder our own existence in the turbulent world of now” Kripalani shares. “In addition, they each push the boundaries of filmmaking while showcasing the cinematic styles of each director.”
You can watch all seven movies at Oldham Theatre at the National Archives of Singapore, which will have social distancing measures in place and admit up to 33 people for each screening. Only groups of up to three will be allowed to sit together. Alternatively you can view three movies (Tamaran Hill, Isadora’s Children and Isabella) through video-on-demand via SISTIC Live Stream. The movies will be available from 4 September to 11 October. Tickets are on sale at sifa.sg.
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