Director: Royston Tan

881

Two Singaporean girls join together to form the Papaya Sisters, a getai group that sings at performances during the seventh lunar month. Big Papaya is estranged from her mother, who disapproves of her performances, whilst Little Papaya is an orphan who suffers from terminal cancer. The two are assisted by Auntie Ling and her son, Guan Yin. The two soon rise to the top of the Singaporean getai scene singing traditional Hokkien songs, but their fame brings along with it the enmity of the Durian Sisters, a rival group of techno-singing Eurasian girls.

15: The Movie

Fast, frenetic, and furious best describe the story of five teenage boys all but abandoned by the system, estranged from any parents, and discarded by life in general. They build a world of there own in which gangs, drugs, fighting, body piercing, self-harm, and even suicide are considered commonplace. The film highlights their harrowing place in time and this small world; where brotherhood is valued above all else. Impressively acted by actual street kids, the movie highlights a gritty side of modern-day Singaporean life.

12 Lotus

As a child, Lian Hua dreamed of becoming a performer in Singapore's Getai shows, concerts staged the same month each year and featuring emotionally broad songs of love, life and death. However, Lian's father dissuaded her from following her dreams, and while Lian never lost her love for music, her ambitions would be tied to tragedy as she grew to adulthood. As a grown woman, Lian finally seems poised to make her mark as a performer when she joins forces with flashy vocalist Astroboy and heartthrob Ah Long. Ah Long falls for Lian, but their romance comes to an abrupt end and Lian is assaulted by a handful of thugs who want to collect a debt from her father. Ten years later, middle aged Lian thinks she may have another chance at success when she finds new love, but fate has led her to the brink of madness and once again disappointment lies in wait for her.

HIGH

Choose your story in HIGH, the new interactive short film by Royston Tan.