Film buffs have rich pickings this month, with two retrospectives ongoing at ArtScience Museum and The Projector, both dedicated to titans of Chinese cinema – namely Maggie Cheung and Leslie Cheung. Many of the actors’ ’80s and ’90s works will be screened, so it’s a rare opportunity to catch these films in person. More details below.
The ArtScience Museum is on a roll; following its Sofia Coppola programme in February, it is now dedicating a retrospective to Maggie Cheung, one of Chinese cinema’s most beguiling figures. Titled Vividly Maggie, the retrospective traces Cheung’s journey from her early days in the ’80s before she gradually came into her own as an internationally respected actor and a frequent collaborator with some of cinema’s best auteurs.
The retrospective will be screened at the museum’s Level 4 in-house screening room, ArtScience Cinema, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this month. It revisits key turning points in the retired actor’s prolific body of work, including the seldom-screened autobiography Song of the Exile (1990), the French comedy Irma Vep (1996) which raised Cheung’s profile internationally, and of course, the ultimate slow-burning love story In The Mood For Love (2000).
“I am so happy to be part of ArtScience Cinema’s latest retrospective Vividly Maggie, which looks back on several notable films throughout my career,” says Cheung. “As an actress, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with many talented directors and portraying a diverse range of characters. These films remain dear to my heart, and I’m delighted to walk with audiences down memory lane through some deeply cherished performances across my body of work.”
Get your tickets here.
May 13-June 25, various times, at ArtScience Museum
Over at The Projector, another Chinese screen icon is similarly being revisited. The independent cinema has put on Loving Leslie, a small but heartfelt tribute to celebrate the late Leslie Cheung and his tremendous talent. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved actor’s passing; he was one of the biggest stars of Hong Kong film and music industries throughout the ’80s and ’90s and the rare openly queer icon.
Loving Leslie presents three of the late actor’s most beloved films – most people might be more familiar with the atmospheric existential reverie Days of Being Wild (1990 – and yes, Maggie Cheung co-stars here), but there’s also the supernatural melodrama Rouge (1987), in which two star-crossed lovers make a suicide pact to be reunited in the afterlife, and the sex comedy Viva Erotica (1996), in which a struggling filmmaker has to choose between artistic integrity or to direct a pornographic film.
Get your tickets here.
On now till May 27, various times, at The Projector Picturehouse, #05-01 The Cathay
Intervention is a fairly new queer party on the block, organised by a collective of multi-disciplinary artists and community organisers. Since its inception in November last year, it has injected a unique perspective into the nightlife scene with its subversive selection of music, spanning genres like techno, reggaeton and Indonesian folk music (yes, you heard that right). This time, expect the same diverse array of sounds from around the world – from mahraganat (a.ka. Egyptian electro) to Thai beat, from Dominican dembow music to South African gqom.
Get your tickets here.
May 13, 10pm-3am, at The Projector Picturehouse, #05-01 The Cathay
Glitches have become a prominent motif in various cyber niches and art mediums in recent years. They’re also part of Pixel Paradise, the latest exhibition at independent art haven Comma Space, which explores how the acceleration of technology continues to alter our experiences with the physical world.
The exhibition is part of an ongoing collaboration between artists Merryn Trevethan and Sebastian Mary Tay (SG), and they have utilised a techno aesthetic of interruption, glitches and feedback loops that allude to the ever-increasing inability to separate the physical and the digital and to how evolving technologies are impacting our attention spans.
Expected a highly textured show that comprises of physical and digital mediums, ranging from moving image projections, wall drawings, and video works, all layered to create a labyrinthian experience.
May 13-21, 1pm-6pm on weekends (Tuesdays to Fridays are by appointment only), at Comma Space, #04-02, 51 Jalan Pemimpin. Artist tours will also be conducted on May 14 and 21 May, 3pm-4pm on both days