Apart from the glittery Michelin stars bestowed upon our local hawkers and restaurateurs, Singapore’s film and TV productions have placed us on the world map, too. From the Asian Television Awards to Cannes Film Festival, our local media scene has been gaining recognition from international audiences. Besides, it’s always fun to spot familiar local hangouts while watching these shows, or chuckle at Singlish dialogue only true blue Singaporeans will understand. So take a trip back in time with these memorable productions.
Singaporean films and TV shows to watch
The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998)
Ah, those pimple popping years where our world revolved around school grades and BGRs (boy-girl relationships). Adapted from the bestselling 1988 novel of the same name by local author Adrian Tan, the movie centres around Mui Ee (Melody Chen) as she starts a new chapter of her school life at Paya Lebar Junior College (PJC) and faces relationship issues. With the help of her best friend, she gradually figures out the complexity of the four-letter word we call love. The movie is quintessentially about young and innocent love, bringing you back to those nostalgic days full of teenage woes and angst.
Watch on Netflix, available from Aug 8
My Magic (2008)
Tearjerker alert! My Magic is an emotional rollercoaster about the unconditional love of parents. As a single parent, Francis (played by real-life magician Bosco Francis) is a despondent father who seeks solace in alcohol after his wife passed away. He tries hard to make ends meet to provide for his son and soon decides to make a change. After returning to his former craft as a magician, he starts performing dangerous stunts to earn more money but ends up putting his life at risk.
This story about redemption and sacrifice is Eric Khoo’s first foray into a Tamil language production. Besides being the first local film nominated in 2008 for Palme D’Or, the highest award at Cannes Film Festival, it was also selected as Singapore’s Oscar entry for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.
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Growing Up (1996)
Before the Kardashians became a household name, the Tays dominated our TV screens in the 90s. The tight-knit family captivated our hearts, with the parents (Lim Kay Tong and Wee Soon Hui) becoming an iconic couple on local TV. Set between the 60s to 80s, this drama is undoubtedly filled with Kleenex moments. Touching on issues relatable to local audiences, the show’s six seasons sees the Tay family through their ups and downs.
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Ilo Ilo (2013)
Widely known as the first Singaporean feature film to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival, Anthony Chen’s debut takes you through life in Singapore during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Journey with the middle-class Lim family as they bring Filipino domestic helper Teresa into their home and watch as the drama of everyday life unfolds in their HDB flat. It’s a tribute to Singapore in the most simple, moving way.
Watch on Netflix
The Maid (2005)
Set against the backdrop of the lunar calendar’s creepiest month, The Maid is a spine-tingling film that revolves around the Hungry Ghost Festival. Rosa (Alessandra de Rossi) works as a domestic helper for a Teochew opera family. Unaware of the traditions and superstitions linked to the festival, Rosa starts to experience nightmares and ghostly visions, which lead to her uncovering the family’s darkest secrets. Written and directed by Kelvin Tong, The Maid broke Singapore’s box office record for the horror genre on its opening weekend. We’d say this award-winning scare-fest is best watched during the actual Hungry Ghost Festival. At your own discretion, of course.
Watch on Netflix
Sandcastle (2010)
Sandcastle offers a peek into Singapore’s history in the 1950s, during a time of political unrest. Teenager En (Joshua Tan) has always been curious about his deceased father’s background, but as he digs deeper into his father’s past, he faces huge resistance from his family members. His father’s history as a student activist is something his family finds shameful to talk about. Boo Junfeng’s debut feature flick is a coming-of-age story that touches on sensitive issues, and was the first Singaporean film showcased at International Critics’ Week during the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.
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Banting (2014)
Yasmin (Izyan Mellyna Ishak) dreams of becoming a female wrestler, but her strict mother stands in her way. Banting (Malay for slam, a wrestling move) tells the tale of a young Malay woman who yearns to pursue her passion. Though her dream raises eyebrows, she fights hard to achieve what she wants. This light-hearted, feel-good comedy was the first Malay film commercially produced in Singapore since the 1970s.
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The Little Nyonya (2008)
Peranakan culture takes centre stage in The Little Nyonya. Set in the 1930s, this series covers generations of Peranakan families throughout their lives. As the most widely recognised face of the series, Jeanette Aw’s Yue Niang is the strong heroine who goes through a series of hardships before she becomes a successful businesswoman. Let’s just say, the show was so popular in 2008 that every episode was hotly debated and all things Peranakan were trending. The script was also adapted by China’s television broadcaster to create its very own version of The Little Nyonya.
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The Leap Years (2008)
If you think long-distance relationships are hard, try meeting your significant other only once every four years. Based on the book A Leap of Love by local author Catherine Lim, this movie is about keeping the faith because what’s meant to be yours will eventually be.
Li-Ann, an idealistic believer in soul mates, chances upon a man at a cafe and falls in love at first sight. She follows an Irish tradition – that a woman’s proposal to a man cannot be refused on 29 February – and writes a note to ask him on a date. Turns out, he’s engaged! But they promise to meet once every four years at the same time and place. Across the span of 20 years, love leads them to take a leap of faith.
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881 (2007)
If getai is foreign to you, this musical comedy written and directed by Royston Tan provides a crash course on what it’s all about. The extravagant live stage show is typically held during the annual Hungry Ghost Festival. That means you can expect upbeat song numbers performed in Chinese dialect by great singers, alongside elaborate set pieces and intricately designed costumes.
But first, a little backstory. Harbouring a strong passion to become getai singers, Big Papaya (Yeo Yann Yann) and Little Papaya (Mindee Ong) seek guidance from seasoned veterans to hone their craft. When they finally grace the stage, they soon gain vast popularity, attracting the attention and jealousy of their competitors, the Durian sisters.
Watch on Netflix
Ah Boys To Men (2012)
Who says National Service is a mundane affair? Jack Neo gives his trademark comedic spin to this topic that Every Singaporean Son can relate to. The result? A Singlish-peppered movie that became Singapore’s top-grossing film, spawning three follow-ups.
Filled with purely Singaporean jokes, Ah Boys To Men follows the journey of four men from various walks of life as they undergo military training. After a series of laugh-out-loud incidents at camp, the group form a strong camaraderie and transform into better versions of themselves over the course of two years. Sure, it may have gotten its fair share of flak (ahem, slapstick plot and ad placements galore), but for some reason, it’s still as popular as ever. Psst: If you’re not a fan, there’s always the 1996 classic, Army Daze!
Watch on Netflix
The Noose (2007)
Primetime news never gets boring at The Noose. This show is a parody of television broadcast news, infused with a high dosage of humour. It takes on Singapore’s current affairs in a hilarious fashion with comedy sketches. Presented by fictional newscasters and reporters, such as Lulu (Michelle Chong), B. B. See (Chua En Lai) and Jojo Joget (Suhaimi Yusof), the show clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously, serving us caricatures of news highlights.
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Singapore has produced a ton of great films and TV shows over the years. We’d say they’re all worthy of a spotlight, in one way or another. So the next time you’re gunning for the remote, check out these local productions!
Words by Sarah Lee
Sarah is a huge movie buff who watches films from all around the world. When she isn’t watching movies, she will either be reading film reviews or sourcing new recipes to hone her culinary skills.
The post An ode to Singapore: Local films and TV shows we love and where to watch them appeared first on Honeycombers Singapore.