Singapore Film Industry

The Development and Achievement of the Singapore Film Industry

An Introduction

Singapore cinema is at once diverse and distinctive. Over the past century, filmmaking in Singapore has developed within her unique geographical, historical and cultural context. The development of the Singapore film industry can be divided into 4 phases; the early days (1902-1945), the studio era which is often known as the golden age (1947-1972), the decay and oblivion period (1973-1986) and the survival to revival stage (1987 to 2005). They are discussed as follow.

The Early Days (1902-1945)

In the early years of the history of Singapore cinema, the first imported movie was brought by the Levy Hermanos Brothers in the 1904. Mostly movies were in French, from Gaumont and Pathe production houses, dominated the international film market. They screened their movies in a picture showing building at 320 victoria street which later was named as the Paris Cinema, Singapore first cinema. By 1930s Shaw Brothers and Cathay are formed as theatre chains. 4 Years after the death of Shaw Yuh Hsuen in 1924, Runje decided to enter the movie industry with the forming of Tian Yi Film Co. In 1924, Runme who was in-charge of film distribution travelled to Singapore. In 1927, Run Run came to Singapore to help him expand the business with the forming of Hai Seng Company which become the Shaw Brothers Pte Ltd. Ten years after the Shaw Brothers set foot in Singapore, the Lokes entered the Cinema Industry. In 1935, Mrs Loke decided to incorporate a new company, Associated Threatres Ltd which foundation was laid to develop into the Cathay Organisation in 1959. At the beginning of film development, the studios relied on Indian directors, Singapore actors and actresses to produce Malay language movies. The scripts remained in fact composed of recycled stories of dances and songs which appealed to the audience greatly. The first Malay feature film was Leila Majnun in 1933 about two ill-fated lovers who faced objections from their families. The establishment of the two film empires was an achievement in Singapore's film industry for it laid the infrastructure for film production to take its flight to soar to new heights. From the 1930s till World War II was considered the beginning of the golden era of Singapore's film industry.

The Shaw Family

The Golden Age (1947-1972)

After the Japanese occupation, the various cinema chains in Singapore slowly to resume their activities, toning down of propaganda movies and showing more entertainment movies of the Hollywood and Bollywood. These would strongly influence the Malay industry that would bloom and known as the golden age. Studio system of Shaw and Cathay made over 250 films in the Malay language from 1930s to 1960s. Some of the installations and equipment owned by shaw studios had remained at their original location on Jalan Ampas through the war. The Shaw brother reopened these studio in 1947. They decided to produce films cater to the Malays in Singapore and Malaya. Hence, they incorporated a new company named the Malay Film Productions while retaining Malayan Threatres Ltd as their exhibition arm. This had kicked off the studio Era in Singapore.  In 1953, Loke Wan Tho with the help of Ho Ah Loke, Created the Cathy Keris, signaling the beginning of the golden age which lasted for 25 years during which the film produced were predominately in Malay.

Loke Wan Tho

The Shaw Brothers started to sign a number of actors and technicians which became their full time employees for many years without able to join the competitor. The studios owned their own cinemas in which they showed their own films, as well as the Hollywood blockbusters. Shaw cinemas did not show Cathay films, and vice versa. As productions had to be fast and profitable, artistic quality was not the main concern which expands the number of output of movies over the decades. Shaw Brothers proceeded to produce more films, with the introducing of new faces to screen like Kasma Booty, a Sumatran-born Eurasian who started as a Malay theatre Actress. Shaw Studio continues to capitalize on these early successes and produced 2 more films in 1948 and increases the film output steadily, from 3 in 1949, 7 in 1950 and peak at 15 features in 1952. In 1952, a total of 23 films were produced, marking the period of the most productive in moviemaking for Singapore film industry.

The Shaw Brother did not remain the only player in the burgeoning film industry. A few independent producers decided to try their luck and soon 2 smaller production houses appeared on screen. They were Nusantara Film, Rimau and Keris which flourish the film industry, increasing the output of the films annually. The flourishing of the film industry in the 1950s were the artists and directors. If not for them, Singapore and Malaysian audiences would not have enjoyed good scripts and performances. This in turn encouraged the film industry to thrive. One such personality was P. Ramlee, a talented director who spearheaded the film industry with his skillful film-making. His films won awards in the Asian Film Festival. In the initial stages of film production, he conducted a one-man show in co-ordinating film production because of a lack of talent in Singapore and Malayan film-making during the early 1950s. He produced films of mass appeal, and contributed to the rise of the film industry. In addition, many talented actors and actress were identified. Those stars were very well received because of their strong acting skills. Maria Menado produced Anak Pontianak (Vampire's child) Sumpah Pontianak (Vampire's Curse), and Orang Minyak (the Oily Man), had won large audiences from the cinema going public.

Sumpah Orang Minyak (1958) Pt 1

The 1950s and early 1960s were the boom years for the Singapore film industry. This achievement was in part due to a talented pool of creative artists harnessed by Shaw Brothers, Loke Wan Tho and Ho Ah Loke. The golden age of the studio era in Singapore had lasted 25 years from 1947 to 1972. Both leading studios had 20 years period of activity. Within the 25 years, around 300 movies were made of which approximately 280 were produced by the 2 major studios and the rest by smaller companies.

The Decay and Oblivion Period (1973-1986)

By mid 1970s, 10 years of independence have reshaped the entire Singapore society. Kampong or village was slowing to become a thing of the past. With Singapore out of the fereration of Malaysia and placing greater emphasis on the Chinese sector of the population, malayness was not only the main cultural reference. Rapid modernization had brought changes in terms of lifestyle, hence, movies made I 1973 to 1978 were in Chinese and English as compared to malay in the golden days of the film industry. Singapore producers and filmmakers copied the American or hong kong ideas. However, as it was lack of originality and unable to surpass the other film industries, there were decline of film production in Singapore. In addition, being a newly independent country, Singapore government concern were on the development of the economy, not the decaying of the film industry. Hence, the government did not come to aid to assist the revival of the dying film industry, As industralisation and modernization were vital importance, culture and entertainment became an afterthought. The governement’s new social engineering pocilies led to strict media censorship which adversely affect movies such as Ring of fury which was believed to have focused on gangsterism. In the 1970s, attempts were made to revive the film industry, when independent film makers tried to make Hollywood style movies. In 1978, They Call Her Cleopatra Wong was released as a tongue-in-cheek film, casting Marie Lee and Brian Richmond as the main characters. 

They called her Cleopatra Wong

However, as raising private money was difficult, public funding was non existent and censorship was becoming heavier. The 1970s was definitely not a conducive era for filmmaking in Singapore. Hence, the film industry in Singapore would remain inactive for 12 to 15 years, resuming only in the first half of the 1990s. A long and rather period of silence.

The Survival and Revival Stage (1987-2005)

In 1987, Roy Armes declared Singapore filmmaking’s premature death, but there are signs began to emerge that cinema in Singapore may have survived a long coma and would soon slowly revive. With the introduction of Singapore film festival, emerging of local and western director in the film industry who introduced films that were able to open to both the local and foreign market and more aids from the Singapore’s government, there are signs of revival of the Singapore film industry. Geoffrey Malone saw the need to promote film culture in the city state and stimulate the environment for future film directors. The festival was first held in 1987, and swiftly positioned itself as a platform for Asian movies, strongly exposing, promoting and supporting new talent such as those from the Chinese fifth generation and the Taiwanese New Wave.

In addition, in 1991, the festival introduced the Silver Screen Awards which allow the local and regional moviemakers to have the opportunities to showcase their production and compete in 2 categories, Asian Feature Film and Singapore Short Film. These encourage more emerging of filmmakers to compete in the film industry. Before 1998, the festival was the only organization which provides cash and supports the burgeoning industry which many filmmakers benefited, forging ahead with their careers in filmmaking.

There are emerging of local directors in the film industry, bringing the film industry to reach a higher level. A fine example will be Eric Khoo, the Singapore first true auteur who studied cinematography in the City Art Institute in Sydney. He have directed many successive films such as August and Mee Pok Man which had won many awards such as August which won the Best Singapore short film at the Singapore international film festival. In addition, besides playing his role as a director, he was also actively involved in the scouting of talents in the film industry. For example, it was Eric Khoo who noticed Jack Neo, transforming him from a humorous television host to a movie drama actor in 12 storeys, giving his best role on screen so far. Jack neo who also became a director, started on the big screen that consists of his popular comedies elements which turn out to be national blockbusters. Both Eric Khoo and Jack Neo was able to relate and integrate the local social context into the films that they made which was one important factor which attracted the local audience, bringing revival to the film industry. For example, in Eric Khoo, mee pok man, in the film, the setting was selected at a HDB flat of which 80 percents of the Singapore are living in. In addition, it arrived just at the same time when the financial crisis hit Asia, with all the social fears hidden under the official economic success surged. Life is not as rosy as before and the movie addresses these questions in a timely and honest way, giving a sincere and accurate portrayal of the island city state. Like Eric Khoo’s movie, Jack Neo’s money not enough, also address the financial dilemma faced by the Singaporean. Hence, with the clever use of local social setting, it has successfully attracted the local audiences, bringing revival to the film industry.

12 Storeys

 Next, the aid and recognition of the film industry from the Singapore government had played an vital role in the revival of the industry. Interest from the local authorizes grew in the late 1980s and 1990s. The leading agency was the economic developemental board which set a committee in 1987 to promote the movie industry. In 2003, the film commission merged with the Singapore broadcast authority and the films and publications department to form the media development authority which focus was to transform into a media hub, producing and exporting Singapore content. With the boost, the Singapore film commission managed to put together a very consistent and coherent system of support for the film industry, introducing a wide range of activities deemed necessary for the growth of the movie industry. The film commission provides funding for short and feature projects through various schemes. New avenues for future generations of filmmakers were opened, giving them the exposure, encouragement and support they needed for their work. The success was seen with the initial production of 11 short films through its short film grant and increased steadily to 23 in 1999, 34 in 2000 and around 40 short films a year.

With the revival of the Singapore film industry, the local film industry has received recognition for their achievement made in Singapore. Eric Khoo’s Mee pok man was the first Singaporean movie to be entered for the Singapore international film festivals’ silver screen awards. He had set the tone with this somber, modern-city tale and inspired a trend that other filmmakers would follow. In addition, the local films made were able to receive international recognition. For example, Eric Khoo’s 12 storeys, was the first Singapore film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, having selected for the Un Certain regard programme. It also won the Federation of International Film Critics award. The movie was commercially distributed to the international market, including France. On the other hand, Jack Neo’s embark in the film industry and achieved a relatively good results too. Most of his films, such as I not stupid and money not enough have achieved very good box office results, with the latter becoming the top grossing movie ever in the country. In addition, in his film, homerun, cast proved themselves with excellent acting, particularly Shawn Lee and Megan Zheng. Megan Zheng won the best new performer award at the 40^th Golden Horse Film Festival, a film award ceremony equivalent of the Oscars. It happened to be the first ever golden horse award garnered by Singapore, bringing great attention to the local film industry. The film went on to win the Best Director prize at the international children film festival in Iran. Such international festival recognition came as a consecration for Singapore reborn cinema industry.

Megan Zheng with her award

All in all, Singapore film industry has shown sign of revival and is opening up to both the local and foreign market. However, locally made cinema should not fear being too locally rooted as this is the uniqueness of Singapore film industry. Just like Hollywood which never shows any fear in giving up the “Americanness”. Singapore cinema should continue to use movies as a platform for others who want to learn more about this small but yet unique country.