In The House Of Straw

• In Competition for the Golden Kinnaree Award, Bangkok International Film Festival 2009 (World Premiere)

“A Singapore New Wave that actually warrants the term because of the innovations made and not just referring to the “next generation.””
– Mayo Martin, TODAY. Read his wonderful article here.

“A brave, complex, crazy, funny, weird, uncompromising coming-of-age film for the facebook generation.”
-  Graiwoot Chulphongsathorn, NETPAC Juror and writer for Bioscope

Directed & Written by: Yeo Siew Hua
Produced by: Aaron Ng, Kent Chan, Tan Bee Thiam, Yeo Siew Hua
Director of Photography: Aaron Ng
Camera Assistant：Looi Wan Ping
Production Designer: Cain Chui
Editors: Aaron Ng, Chris Yeo, Kent Chan
Composers: Benjamin Lim, Chen Chien Chi, Debbie Ding, Felix Huang, Giuseppe Giunta, Mark Wong Wenwei, Teo Wei Yong, Ying
Sound Editors: Lim Ting Li, Felix Huang

Key Cast: Daniel Hui, Eustace Eng, Felix Huang, Lynn Chong, Tian Low
Genre: Drama
Languages: English, Mandarin
Estimated Running Time: 130mins
Format: HDV
Production Company: Animapictures, 13 Little Pictures
Partners: Batch:ten, Edit Lounge, EQ Ward

Press and International Distribution / Sales Contact

Tan Bee Thiam (bthiam@gmail.com)

Presskit Download

 

Synopsis

Over the summer break, Zhi Wen decides to move out of his parents’ house to live with two friends. After discovering that Ah Pin and Mark are professional bicycle thieves, Zhi Wen slowly finds himself entrapped in a strange world of vice and deception. A magical personality game they play will finally cause them to switch identities with one another. The film is the tale of the three little pigs set in the modern landscape of urbanized Singapore. Will the three little pigs live happily ever after?

Director’s statement

When I was younger, a bicycle was stolen. Owing to the fantastical imaginations of my youth, I was at once broken and intrigued. I wondered who the thieves were and how they lived their lives. It became real to me that they were friends whom, after spending so much time together, started to speak and behave like one another. I was interested in actors switching the parts they play which created an interesting identity situation. The film takes the form of a surreal absurdist piece that is seen darkly through the futility of our young hero’s attempt of escaping his crumbling reality to seek refuge in the comfort of friends.

Director’s Biography

Yeo Siew Hua graduated among the top of his cohort in Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Media Studies, winning the Kodak Singapore Prize for Cinematography and the Cathay Organisation Gold Medal. He wrote and directed short films such as AIK KHOON (in competition for the Silver Screen Awards – Singapore International Film Festival 2005) and WAKING MONKEY (The Substation’s Best Film Award for the Best of First Takes 2007). He is also an award-winning director of photography of THE BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY PROJECT and the LUCKY 7 PROJECT. He is currently reading Philosophy at the National University of Singapore. IN THE HOUSE OF STRAW is his debut feature film.