Film

Censorship and “Saving Face” In Cambodia

Censorship in Cambodia is often tied to upholding a certain image of the country. Reaksmey Yean highlights how this sort of action can come both from the authorities as well as citizens.

Papuan Cinema in a Time of Oppression

While Papuan cinema takes its place on the world stage, it is still viewed with distrust in Indonesia. Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu traces how and why Papua’s people continue to be excluded from the national narrative.

Collage by Pristine de Leon and Alvin Zafra
Collage by Pristine L. de Leon and Alvin Zafra. Full image credits below.

Criticism and Tears: The Emotional is Political in the Marcos State

When a film taps on emotions to distort historical facts, criticism that uses a rational, adversarial voice, above the work and the audiences who enjoy it may fail to dislodge the emotive power of the work’s narrative. Pristine De Leon looks for a path forward as a critic in this tricky landscape in her review of Maid in Malacañang’, a fictionalised retelling of the last days of the first Marcos presidency.

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(Bottom right) In a village in Bali, Jaap Zindler films two indigenous girls working with a loom, Indonesia (1947). (Top and bottom left) Staged filming on the site of the Government Film Company in the former Mr. Cornelis in Jakarta, Indonesia (1947).

Beyond the Imagination Trajectories of Former Colonies

Dwiki Aprinaldi critiques the influences of colonial history that still seep through the film industry in Southeast Asia. This article is published as part of the inaugural AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency 2021/2022.

Rahim Razali. Photo credit: ZSA Productions.

Ke Mana Tumpahnya Tuah… Kalau Tidak Ke Hati

Dalam dunia filem, terdapat pelbagai canggah dan cabang yang membuatkan filem tersebut menarik. Daniyal Kadir meluahkan perspektifnya tentang filem “Spilt Gravy” dengan tumpangan pendapat berkaitan penapisan filem.

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Jit Murad and Harith Iskander.ZSA Productions

“Spilt Gravy Ke Mana Tumpahnya Kuah” Makes Us Consider Time, History and the Prickly Question of Family

After years of waiting, Spilt Gravy Ke Mana Tumpahnya Kuah hits the screens in Malaysia on 9th June. We speak to Datuk Zahim Albakri (director/co-screenwriter) and June Tan (co-screenwriter) on what it took for the film, adapted from a play, to reach this moment. One privilege of being an artist is the experience of creating …

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4 Movies That Showcase The Amazing Action Talent In Indonesia

4 Movies That Showcase The Amazing Action Talent In Indonesia

There is no denying the spectacle that modern Hollywood blockbusters are capable of producing. However, I believe the action displayed in Asian cinema has consistently been a step above those we typically see in Hollywood, despite these movies more limited budgets. The shaky-cam technique and multiple quick cuts prevalent in many Hollywood action films, like …

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SEE WHAT SEE: SEA AT SGIFF 2021

In this edition of See What See, we review three films made by Southeast Asian directors and featuring Southeast Asia currently showing at the Singapore International Film Festival 2021 (SGIFF). SGIFF runs from 25 November to 5 December 2021 with over 100 films from more than 40 countries. Also check out Fiona Lee’s review of …

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8 online programmes not to be missed at SDEA Theatre Arts Conference

The SDEA Theatre Arts Conference is back in 2021 with a fully-online programme, featuring presentations, workshops and masterclasses responding to the theme of Creative Disruption: Exploring New Ground. The conference, first started in 2011, is an international platform for artists, theatre practitioners, educators, and applied drama practitioners to share their work, methodologies, and research through …

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SEE WHAT SEE (Feb 2021): DESIRE

By Joel Tan Welcome to my new column for ArtsEquator, where every month I’ll be giving you a little line-up of Singaporean and other Southeast Asian streaming content that I think is interesting and worth talking about in my typically TLDR, long-winded way.  I’m not even talking about Netflix (which I’ve already written about at …

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Via Yahoo

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Southeast Asia rap on the rise; Kolektif Hysteria in Jakarta

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have …

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Via Thailand Tatler

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Vietnam’s art fondling problem; Silent Film Festival

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have …

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Malay Mail

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Ipoh’s punk samaritans; Keeping weavers alive

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have …

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BACC

Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Vietnam’s post-war writers; Burmese voices in book

ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have …

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