Witness to War: Memories and Screens
The memories of World War Two have been captured, interpreted and presented in various films – from iconic war films like Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence to romance films such as Hiroshima Mon Amour and historically significant films like Momotaro Sacred Sailors and Spirit of the Overseas Chinese which have not been seen in Singapore in recent history. For the first time, the National Museum, in collaboration with the Asian Film Archive, will be presenting Witness to War: Memories and Screens, a selection of films which document and remember the experience of World War Two in the Pacific and its aftermath.
In tracing the historical development from the bombing of Pearl Harbour (1941) to Hiroshima (1945), Memories and Screens will showcase films and narratives from Singapore and Malaya, Britain, Japan, America and Singapore’s regional neighbours, accounting for the diverse yet shared narratives of countries and people that have participated in and witnessed World War Two. This film programme – inspired by the exhibition Witness to War: Remembering 1942 – invites us to reflect upon the ways film across national borders remembers a shared history that continues to shape our reality today. Click here to get your tickets.
Witness to War: Memories and Screens will also feature an installation developed by third year Arts Management students from LASALLE College of the Arts, School of Creative Industries, under the mentorship of the National Museum as part of its efforts to cultivate the interest of youths in museums as cultural and civic spaces.
Witness to War: Memories and Screens is organised by the National Museum of Singapore as part of the Witness to War exhibition and curated by the Asian Film Archive.
Film Schedule
Feature-length films
Screening Venue: Gallery Theatre, Basement Level
Tora! Tora! Tora, Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku, Toshio Masuda, USA, Japan, 1970, Japanese & English (with English subtitles), PG
13 Jan,8pm
In Which We Serve, David Lean, Noel Coward, UK, 1942, 116min, English, Rating TBA
14 Jan,2pm
Sergeant Hassan, Lamberto V. Avallena, Singapore, 1958, Malay, Japanese & English (with English subtitles), PG
14 Jan,5pm
Spirit Of The Overseas Chinese / 海外征魂, Wan Hoi-ling, Singapore, 1946, Mandarin & Hokkien (with English subtitles), Rating PG
18 Jan,8pm
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence / 戦場のメリークリスマス, Nagisa Oshima, UK, Japan, 1983, 123min, English & Japanese (with English subtitles), Rating PG-13
19 Jan,8pm
Devils On The Doorstep / 鬼子来了, Jiang Wen, China, 2000, 162min, Mandarin (with English subtitles), Rating TBA
20 Jan,4.30pm
The Thin Red Line, Terrence Malick, USA, 1998, English, Tok Pisin, Japanese & Greek (with English subtitles), PG
20 Jan,8pm
King Rat, Bryan Forbes, USA, 1965, 134min, English, Rating PG
21 Jan,2pm
Three Godless Years / Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Mario O’Hara, Philippines,1976, Tagalog & Japanese (with English subtitles), Rating PG-13,
21 Jan,5pm
The Most Beautiful / 一番美しく, Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1944, Japanese (with English subtitles), Rating PG
25 Jan,8pm
Unlike other films in the canon of war cinema, The Most Beautiful does not reflect and perpetuate romanticised notions of masculine heroism on the frontlines. What transpires then is a compassionate film that portrays the women back home who quietly dedicated themselves to Japan’s ambitious war effort through perseverance, despite illness and hardship.
Momotaro Sacred Soldiers / 桃太郎 海の神兵, Mitsuya Seo, Japan, 74min, 1945, Japanese (with English subtitles), Rating PG
26 Jan,8pm
Japan’s first-ever feature-length animated film, Momotaro, Sacred Sailors was produced with the backing of the Ministry of the Navy of Japan in the last days of World War Two as a means of boosting morale back home when the prospect of a Japanese victory began to wane. Featuring the Japanese folk character Momotaro (“Peach Boy” in English) and with various animals representing soldiers invading an island in the South Pacific, the film was made for children. The film notably features an amusing representation of the historical surrender of Singapore by British General Percival in 1942. A rare film seen by very few when released in 1945. This screening presents a recently released digital restoration from 2016.
Second Screening of Spirit Of The Overseas Chinese / 海外征魂 (Back by Popular Demand), Wan Hoi-ling, Singapore, 1946, Mandarin & Hokkien (with English subtitles), Rating PG
27 Jan,2pm
Back by popular demand after the first screening on 18 Jan, Spirit of the Overseas Chinese will be screened a second time on 27 Jan. This film was recently discovered in the vaults of the China Film Archive and restored. A rare document of Singapore cinema, the film was made by pioneering female Chinese film-maker Wan Hoi-ling, who had directed films in Singapore for the Shaw Brothers since 1940. Her partner Hou Yao, who tragically died during the war, collaborated with her on her films. Made just a year after World War Two ended, the story of Spirit begins before the war comes to Malaya and reflects upon the struggles of newly-emigrated and affluent Chinese immigrants who have to choose between the comfortable luxury of their lives in Singapore and returning to their motherland to fight the enemy.
Grave Of The Fireflies / 火垂るの墓, Isao Takahata, Japan, 1988, 89min, Japanese (with English subtitles), PG
27 Jan,4.30pm
Set a few weeks before the American occupation of Japan, Grave of the Fireflies centres on the lives of two brave young siblings, Seita and Setsuko. With their father away serving the Imperial Navy, and their mother tragically killed in an air raid, the children are forced to stay with their cruel aunt, whom they eventually flee from. Depending solely on each other for survival, Seita does all he can to take care of his starving younger sister who gets weaker by the day.
Hiroshima Mon Amour, Alain Resnais, France, Japan, 1959, 90min, French (with English subtitles), PG
27 Jan,8pm
An actress arrives in Hiroshima to star in a film about peace. She meets a Japanese man, they become lovers and he also becomes her confidant. He tells her about his life and repeats: “You’ve seen nothing of Hiroshima.” She talks to him about her teenage years in Nevers during World War Two and her love affair with a German soldier. After 54 years, this classic of French cinema has been restored in 4K digital. It premiered in the Cannes Classics section in 2013.
Shorts
Screening Venue: The Salon, Level 1
Screening Dates: 13, 14, 20, 21 & 28 Jan
All films will be screened on loop.
The Battle Of Bukit Chandu, Charles Lee, Goh Zi Hao, David Hwee, Lim Sze Yang,Darwin Muis, Chew Kai Fook, Shum Kah Fai, Singapore, 2005, Japanese & Malay (with English subtitles), Rating PG
On 14 February 1942, the 56th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army launched one of the bloodiest attack in Singapore to take control of Pasir Panjang Ridges. A Malay platoon made up of 42 men commanded by 2nd Lt Adnan Bin Saidi, from the C Company of the Malay Regiment. Despite being severely outnumbered by the Japanese, they fought bravely until their eventual deaths. Originally produced in 2005 by a team of students, the animated film has since been updated in 2014 with newly produced motion graphics and interview segments with survivors. The short film remains one of the very few Singapore films that depict this true story.
Janaki, Don Aravind, Singapore, 2012, Tamil (with English subtitles), PG13
Janaki, a former recruit from the Rani of Jhansi women’s regiment of the Indian National Army, reflects on the painful experiences of World War Two. More than just a wartime account, Janaki also brings together a soldier’s memories and a woman's mediation upon them.
The Nameless, Ho Tzu Nyen, Singapore, 2015, Mandarin (with English subtitles), PG13
Appropriating scenes from 16 different films featuring Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, such as Hou Hsiao-hsien’s City of Sadness (1989), Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2013), Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000), and John Woo’s Bullet in the Head (1990), Ho Tzu Nyen’s The Nameless re-contextualises such scenes to tell the story of Lai Teck, a real-life triple agent operating in post-war Malaya.
White Gorilla, Charles Packer, Singapore, 2017, English, PG
Filmmaker Charles Packer chronicles his grandfather’s life and experiences as a British marine stationed in Singapore during the 1960s. Through photography, home videos, interviews, writing as well as footage taken while following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Packer creates a unique work of portraiture that explores how we remember our departed loved ones.
DE:CODE
Responding to films presented in Witness to War: Memories and Screens and the survivors’ accounts featured in the exhibition Witness to War: Remembering 1942, DE:CODE is a pop-up installation based on Morse code. The installation explores how covert wartime communication was a matter of life and death, and emphasises the importance of remembering wartime experience, be it through film or an appreciation of how our landscapes and modes of communication have changed since then. Drop by DE:CODE at the Gallery Theatre Foyer of the National Museum of Singapore from 20 Jan to 28 Jan 2018 and try your hand at crafting and deciphering messages in Morse code!
In addition to the pop-up installation, the Arts Management students have also selected the film Windtalkers (2002) to be presented as part of Witness to War: Memories and Screens on 28 January 2018. Register here for your free tickets.
Film Schedule
Feature-length film
Screening Venue: Gallery Theatre, Basement Level
Windtalkers, John Woo, USA, 2002, English, PG, 28 Jan, 11.30am
A battle-weary Marine is assigned to guard - and ultimately befriends - a young Navajo soldier who has been trained to be a code talker. This code, the Navajo code was based on an obscure Native American language. The code was a means for secret communication during the war and has been credited as having contributed to US victories on the battlefield in the Pacific. Specially selected by LASALLE students in response to the Witness to War: Memories and Screens, this film gives a unique insight into wartime communication on the frontlines.
