Chen‐Hsi Wong
Directing
Biography
Chen-Hsi Wong is an awardwinning Singapore filmmaker whose films center on displacement and the nature of our environment. Her debut feature film, INNOCENTS, won Best Director – New Talents Award at the Shanghai IFF. Her short films include WHO LOVES THE SUN, which premiered at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and the documentary short CONVERSATIONS ON SAGO LANE. Chen-Hsi is an Alumna of the Berlinale Talents, and a Film Independent Los Angeles fellow. She studied film production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles on a directing scholarship.
Known For
A documentary film released in 2000 about two American families with young deaf children and their conflict over whether or not to give their children cochlear implants, surgically implanted devices that may improve their ability to hear but may threaten their deaf identity.
Sound and Fury
From Crazy Rich Asians (2018) to 12 Storeys (1997) to Sumpah Pontianak (The Curse of Pontianak) (1957), Singapore’s film industry is a diverse one and its evolution is nothing short of colourful. Recollecting Singapore’s famed studios in the 1950s to uncovering new waves of filmmakers in 90s and into today’s digital revolution, Singapore Cinema: Between Takes provides an insight into the rich history, and culture of Singapore films and its industry through candid reflections of filmmakers and content creators.
Singapore Cinema: Between Takes
A retired civil servant in Singapore resorts to desperate measures to prevent his house’s demolition for a new train line.
City of Small Blessings
On Sago Lane, a public housing estate was built in the 1960s upon a street of funeral parlours or "death houses". Today, it is home to one of the highest concentrations of elderly in Singapore. A moving look at a little known aspect of the Chinese diaspora, this documentary profiles several elderly men and women who immigrated in the early 1900s, and who survived multiple waves of relocation and urban development. They now struggle to survive in a rapidly evolving city, while living out the rest of their days on a meagre public assistance.
Conversations on Sago Lane
On a hot summer’s day, three youths find their innocent adventures spiralling out of control, forcing them to question their friendship and to live with the consequences of their actions.
Who Loves The Sun
During the monsoon season in Singapore, a young girl befriends an ostracized boy and embarks on a quest for independence to protect their secret and fragile world.