5 INTERNATIONAL FILMS TO CATCH AT SGIFF 2018




It is not easy being the longest-running film event in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the Singapore International Film Festival has grown in leaps and bounds over the decades. Being at the forefront of independent filmmaking, the festival has been a platform for showcasing international films which may not be screened at commercial cinemas.

Film buffs will be treated to another impressive lineup of international films this year. Here’s a look at five dynamic titles screening at the 29th edition of the festival.

1) VON LUX

Natalie Portman’s haunting portrayal of a troubled ballerina in Black Swan (2010) won her an Oscar for Best Actress. The award-winning actress is back as a kamikaze diva in the cruel world of showbiz.

After delivering memorable performances in Mysterious Skin (2004) and Funny Games (2007), actor-turned-director Brady Corbet is the man behind this film which premiered in competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

2) NON-FICTION

French auteur Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper) is known for telling stories of love, lust, freedom and rebellion. His latest work is about a book publisher finding his place in the digital literary revolution.

Making its Southeast Asian premiere in Singapore, the film is a humorous social critique of digital anxieties, interpersonal relationships and the changing tides of the literary landscape.

3) HAPPY AS LAZARRO

Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher’s third film features a simpleton who gets caught in a plot beyond his comprehension. Beyond the screenplay, there is an allegory with an inspired narrative conceit that warps time and space.

The film which won Best Screenplay at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is making its Singapore premiere at the festival, and viewers will definitely be charmed by the poetic fable.

4) I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS

Radu Jude is one of the Romanian New Wave’s most stimulating auteurs, blending fact and fiction to scrutinise the shifting political history of his country. This black comedy sees a Romanian theatre director mounting an audacious outdoor performance that recounts a 1941 historical massacre long forgotten by her compatriots.

The film’s Singapore premiere promises viewers an inside look into the creative process and the stubborn, undying ghost of authoritarianism.

5) IN FABRIC

U.K. writer-director and musician Peter Strickland released a Björk concert film, Björk: Biophilia Live in 2004. His latest film, which is screened at the festival’s Midnight Mayhem section, is about a cursed red gown that brings demonic misfortune upon its hapless owners.

The film’s representatives will be in attendance at the Asian premiere to share about the ravishing colours, sounds and textures used to express the story’s campy high-art and chilling menace.

Check out more highlights from the 29th SGIFF!

For more information about SGIFF, visit www.sgiff.com. Follow SGIFF on Instagram and on Facebook

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