1965 (film)
| 1965 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
Randy Ang Daniel Yun |
| Produced by |
Daniel Yun Ng Say Yong |
| Written by |
Andrew Ngin Chiang Meng Randy Ang Daniel Yun |
| Starring |
Qi Yuwu Deanna Yusoff Joanne Peh James Seah Sezairi Sezali Mike Kasem Lim Kay Tong |
| Music by | Alex Oh |
| Cinematography | Amandi Wong |
| Edited by | Lawrence Ang |
| Distributed by |
Blue3 Pictures mm2 Entertainment Shaw Organisation |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | Singapore |
| Language |
English Mandarin Malay |
| Budget | S$2.8 million |
1965 is a 2015 Singaporean thriller/historical film directed by Randy Ang and co-directed by Daniel Yun. It was released in cinemas on July 30, 2015, and stars Qi Yuwu, Deanna Yusoff, Joanne Peh, James Seah, Sezairi Sezali, Mike Kasem, and Lim Kay Tong as Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. It was released to commemorate Singapore's golden jubilee since its independence.
Plot
1965 is a riveting dramatic thriller that uses a piece of Singapore history like never before. Telling engaging and touching stories of immigrants and natives; how a group of people, divided by race, language and religion, saw their lives profoundly transformed by a defining moment in history. Their paths will cross and clash in race riots during the months leading to the separation from Malaysia, and to the independence of Singapore.
Cast
- Qi Yuwu as Inspector Cheng
- Deanna Yusoff as Khatijah
- Joanne Peh as Zhou Jun
- James Seah as Seng
- Sezairi Sezali as Adi
- Mike Kasem as Raj
- Lim Kay Tong as Lee Kuan Yew
- Nicole Seah as Mei
- Sun Yi En as Xiao Yun
Production
It took five years to conceptualise the film. Filming started in November 2014, with most of the filming done in Batam, at various locations, and at Infinite Studios’ soundstages there.[1]
It was initially proposed that Tony Leung Chiu-Wai would play the role of Lee Kuan Yew. However, many Singaporeans felt that that a Singaporean actor should be given the role, hence the role was given to Lim Kay Tong. David Lee of Singapore Film Society also felt that Lim "has the gravitas required of the role, and he's English-speaking as well".[2] To prepare for the role, Lim took months, and visited the National Archives of Singapore at least five times a week, staying for hours at a time to study Lee's audio and film clips.[3]
Music
Two songs were written for the film, namely Sezairi Sezali's "Selamat Pagi" and Gentle Bones' "Sixty Five". The latter has been on the top of the iTunes Singapore song chart for at least four weeks.
Reception
John Lui of The Straits Times gave 1965 a 1.5 out of 5 stars, commenting that "it wants to be Important, with a capital I", and "it feels only slightly more relevant to the national birthday than a chicken bun with an SG50 sticker slapped on it."[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Loh, Genevieve (2 September 2014). "SG50 film 1965 to start filming in November". Today. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ↑ Ng, Gwen (8 October 2014). "Lim Kay Tong to play founding PM Lee Kuan Yew in the movie 1965". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ↑ Yip, Wai Yee (29 July 2015). "Challenge playing Lee Kuan Yew". The Straits Times. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ↑ Lui, John (29 July 2015). "Singapore movie 1965 wants to be 'important' but falls far short". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 August 2015.