Serene Chen

Six filmmakers present six short films about the experiences of Chinese immigrants. Shot across Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar, the anthology depicts the crisis of identity that accompanies international migration.

A kindergarten principal finds a series of morbid cartoons drawn by a docile pupil. A porn actor struggles to rise to the occasion while filming his first porno. A middle-aged nightclub bouncer faces off with a rebellious teenage stripper. Director Ken Kwek tells three iconoclastic stories in a short film that pitches political correctness out the window of Singapore mainstream cinema.

Paper House is a short film set against the backdrop of a traditional Chinese funeral and its customs. The film follows the story of a family as they descend into disharmony after the death of their patriarch. The title of the film refers to the old Chinese tradition of burning paper offerings for their deceased loved ones. This short film is a eulogy for this colourful art form that is fast disappearing in Singapore’s modern society.

Poh Huat, employé d’un cabinet d’avocat consacré aux saisies judiciaires, vit avec sa femme Siew Luan dans un complexe de logements sociaux de Singapour. Leur situation financière instable, ils la doivent à l’endettement provoqué par les études de leur fils Seng, envoyé à l’université aux États-Unis pour concrétiser les rêves cumulés de la famille. La petite amie de Seng, Irene, vit avec ses futurs beaux-parents ; lui collectionne des images de voitures et appartements qu’il découpe dans le journal, elle s’accroche au thé traditionnel qu’elle a toujours préparé pour les siens, de façon presque obsessionnelle.

A young Singaporean woman, haunted by a dark past and teenage pregnancy, has to regain her mother's trust in her rehabilitation as she reassumes custody of her young child.

In Singapore, where even vapes are illegal, three rebellious schoolgirls are caught smoking by the principal. Their revenge prank takes a sinister turn.

In Achiever Secondary School, a new teacher fresh from NIE arrives for his first day of school, his mind filled with thoughts of sweet young kids who are willing to learn and altruistic dedicated teachers eager to teach. He later finds that his dream job has some nightmare moments, the kids are not so easy to lovingly nurture and the teachers he loved and respected are somewhat lacking when he has to work alongside them. Also, a group of new Secondary 1 students become friends, learning through school activities and classes about growing up and the meaning of true friendship, and sometimes even learn something academic, if they're lucky.