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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.

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

©Sao Sreymao 1
Image credit: Sao Sreymao.

Echoes from the Stars: A Collective Map of Love, Memories and Regret

Jean Baptise Phou’s work My Mother’s Tongue began as a way for the artist to examine his relationship with his Teochew-speaking mother. Through collocations with other artists and audiences, the work has undergone different manifestations, but remains an “an exploration of the barriers to connection that transcend language” writes Deborah Augustine.

Echoes from the Stars: A Collective Map of Love, Memories and Regret Read More »

02 – Liarsip – top row-Julita Pratiwi, Lisabona Rahman, Umi Lestari. middle row-Efi Sri Handayani_ pictured in laptop-Imelda Mandala
Top row- Julia Pratiwi, Lisabona Rahman & Umi Lestari. Middle row- Efi Sri Handayani. Pictured in laptop- Imelda Mandala. Image credit: Liarsip.

Finding Ratna Asmara and the Herstory of Indonesian Cinema

The tale of a pioneering woman Indonesian filmmaker converges with the mission of a group of women film researchers, as Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights how archives and historical records often render some stories invisible.

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In Search of Singapore’s Early Opera History

Corey Koh began with a simple question about the early days of opera in Singapore. Trawling through newspaper archives and scholarly articles, Corey, a young classical tenor who has performed widely in Singapore and abroad, uncovers a fascinating story of Singapore’s place within a larger transcontinental touring circuit, and gives us a glimpse into early performance criticism in Singapore.

In Search of Singapore’s Early Opera History Read More »

Norak Satya and Kwan
Norak Satya and Kwan.

សេរីភាពសិល្បៈនៅកម្ពុជា ៖ នៅពេលដែលការការពារតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់​មិនគ្រប់គ្រាន់

នៅខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០២០ អាជ្ញាធរកម្ពុជា​បានចាប់ខ្លួន​អ្នកចម្រៀងរ៉ែបវ័យក្មេងពីររូប គឺ គា សុគន្ធ និង​ឡុង ពុទ្ធារ៉ា ទាក់ទងទៅនឹងពាក្យពេចន៍រំលេចនៅក្នុង​បទចម្រៀង ដីខ្មែរ​ របស់ពួកគេ​ ដែល​ចេញ​កាលពីខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០២០។ បទចម្រៀងនេះ​បានទាក់ទាញឱ្យមានការទស្សនារហូតដល់ជាង​ ២,២លានលើក​ អំឡុងពេល​៥ខែ​បន្ទាប់ពីការចេញផ្សាយ។ បទដីខ្មែរ នេះ​ជំរុញឱ្យយុវជនខ្មែរទាំងឡាយ​ក្រោក​ប្រឆាំងនឹង​ការគាបសង្កត់ ​អំពើពុករលួយ បោះបង់ចោលគ្រឿងស្រវឹង ហើយយកចិត្តទុកដាក់​លើបញ្ហាទឹកដី។ នៅក្នុង​បទចម្រៀងនេះ សុគន្ធរ៉ែបថា៖ «ខ្ញុំចាប់កំណើតកើតនៅលើដីកម្សត់ មានបេះដូងអព្យាក្រឹត​ ប្រឆាំងជាមួយនឹងជនក្បត់ វ៉ៃយកកេរដំណែល ក្រវែលអ្នកគាបសង្កត់ ជួយជាតិតាមសំឡេង ឱ្យគេឮតាមបទ។ ខ្ញុំអ្នកសៀមរាបរស់នៅលើដីប្រាសាទ មានឈាមវរ្ម័នក្លាហានមិនបាក់ស្បាត ឈរតំណាងទឹក តំណាងដី តំណាងសាសន៍ លើកទង់ជាតិកម្ពុជា ស្មើមេឃ ស្មើអាកាស។» ពាក្យពេចន៍របស់សុគន្ធ​ គឺពោរពេញ​ទៅដោយមនោសញ្ចេតនា ជាតិនិយម ជាពិសេសពេលដែលសិល្បកររូបនេះ​រម្លឹកដល់អ្នកស្ដាប់ថា ៖ «យើងបើអស់ដីគ្មានអ្វីនៅទៀតទេ…  សាសន៍មួយចំនួនកំពុងតែឈ្លានពាន ពេលដែលបាក់សាមគ្គីគេនឹងមកទន្ទ្រាន…» បើទោះបីជាបទចម្រៀងទាំងមូលមិនលើកយកពាក្យ «វៀតណាម» មកពណ៌នាក៏ដោយចុះ ក៏បញ្ហាទឹកដីដែលបានរំលេចនៅក្នុង​ចម្រៀងមួយបទ នេះ​ធ្វើ​ឱ្យអ្នកស្ដាប់​យល់បាន​ថា​ ជាការសំដៅទៅរក​បញ្ហា​ព្រំដែន​ដ៏រស៊ើបមួយ​​ជាមួយនឹង​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម  ​​​   ទៅនឹងការចោទប្រកាន់ជាយូរយារណាស់មកហើយថា

សេរីភាពសិល្បៈនៅកម្ពុជា ៖ នៅពេលដែលការការពារតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់​មិនគ្រប់គ្រាន់ Read More »

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documenta fifteen: Kiri Dalena, Respond and Break the Silence Against the Killings (RESBAK), banner activation, Friedrichsplatz, Kassel, June 18, 2022. Photo: Victoria Tomaschko.

“It Has Been Dreamed”: Kiri Dalena on documenta fifteen

Kiri Dalena, one of the artists at the controversy-ridden documenta fifteen speaks with Pristine De Leon about the uneven dynamics between global exchanges and local needs, between lumbung and rigid hierarchies, between what has materialised and what was dreamed.

“It Has Been Dreamed”: Kiri Dalena on documenta fifteen Read More »

WhatsApp Image 2022-09-12 at 12.01.40
(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.

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