Pleasure Factory

Pleasure Factory

The international promotional poster.
Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham
Produced by Ekachai Uekrongtham
Wouter Barendrecht
Michael J. Werner
Lim Teck
Written by Ekachai Uekrongtham
Starring Zihan Loo
Kuei-mei Yang
Ananda Everingham
Music by Bruno Brugnano
Cinematography Brian Gothong Tan
Edited by Brian Gothong Tan
Production
company
Spicy Apple Films
Distributed by Fortissimo Films
Release dates
May 23, 2007 (2007-05-23) (Cannes)
October 18, 2007 (Thailand)
October 25, 2007 (Singapore)
Running time
88 minutes
Country Singapore
Thailand
Language Mandarin
English

Pleasure Factory (快乐工厂 Kuaile Gongchang) is a 2007 Singaporean-Thai docudrama film set in Geylang, the red-light district of Singapore. Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham, the film was selected for the Un Certain Regard competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.[1]

The film is unusual in Southeast Asian cinema for its frank depiction of subjects traditionally hidden in Asian society, such as prostitution and same-sex relationships, and features explicit male nudity.

Plot

A series of intertwining tales involve "pleasure seekers and pleasure providers" during the course of one night in Geylang, Singapore's red-light district. There are three distinct stories, united only by the presence of characters from all the stories in a streetside eatery:

Cast

Production

Origins

According to the film's production notes, Pleasure Factory is the first feature film to be shot entirely on actual locations in Geylang, the red-light district of Singapore.[2]

"In the old days, the Geylang area used to be populated by processing factories for the coconut plantations," director Ekachai Uekrongtham said in notes prepared for the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. "These days, the machines are still running at full steam – producing pleasure for those seeking it, night after night. With Pleasure Factory, I've tried to strip bare the shields that prevent characters in the film from experiencing true pleasure. I'd like the film to have a vivid sense of realism and honesty. I'd like it to confront a world that's at once seedy and beautiful, dark and bright, sad and humorous, cold and warm, naked and all wrapped up. If pleasure can be mass-produced, what would be left on the assembly line when the machines stop?"[1]

The film is the second feature film for director Ekachai, a Singapore-based theatre director who had previously directed the 2003 Thai biographical drama film, Beautiful Boxer.

It is a co-production of Singapore-based Spicy Apple Films, the Hong Kong-Netherlands company, Fortissimo Films and Singapore's InnoForm Media.[1]

Casting

The major known cast members are Taiwanese actress Yang Kuei-mei who had been in such films as Ang Lee's 'Eat Drink Man Woman and Tsai Ming-liang's Goodbye, Dragon Inn, and Ananda Everingham from the Thai horror hit, Shutter. Other actors were newcomers, found through street casting in Geylang and around Singapore.[1]

Reception

The film was an "official selection" for the Un Certain Regard programme at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

It was acclaimed by European critics who attended the premiere screening. Nana A. T. Rebhan of Germany's arts and culture Channel Arte described the film as a "convincing portrait of a never-before-seen red-light district" and said "what makes this movie so special are the moments when people in the 'factory' step out of their usual rhythms - not functioning the way they should, unsure of their own actions and emotions."[3]

Leonardo Lardieri of Italy's Sentieri Selvaggi called the film "a pleasurable surprise" and said it was able to "capture the fragility, the sense of abandonment and the pulsation of incessant desire - in a chain of beginnings and ends that continue to reincarnate itself night after night."[4]

The approach of the film was described by other critics as "characterized by a unique tenderness."[5]

French website Monsieur Cinema said "visually, the film is an enchantment – a contemplative waltz powered by the lights." It also said the director managed to "coldly show the horrors of sexual subordination and the distress of pleasure slaves" but "was also able to give the film a light touch when needed."[6]

Orient Extrême called the film "a beautiful surprise" and said it's "a brilliant film on loneliness which avoids pessimism, and surprises by its mature and enlightened glance on a world too often caricaturized."[7]

It was poorly received by critic Russell Edwards of the film industry journal Variety, who called the digital-video film "shoddy" and said "neither sexual nor audience satisfaction is guaranteed." Because of homoerotic elements, Edwards said he thought the film's chances of release in Singapore were slim.[8] In the past, government censors had banned films with homosexual themes, before the introduction of a proper film classification system.

However, Christopher Chia, chief executive of Singapore's Media Development Authority, indicated in an interview that the film would be welcome, signaling that Singapore is loosening up on artistic expressions of sexuality. "We don't freak out about these things these days," Chia was quoted as saying.[9]

The director Ekachai expressed optimism that his film would be shown in Singapore cinemas, saying "I think Singapore has been making conscious efforts to be less rigid. The country has a proper film classification system in place. It's also aspiring to have the creative freedom that comes with being a first-world country."[10]

The Media Development Authority announced in October that Pleasure Factory was among a record five Singaporean films playing at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival, where it was screened in the "Midnight Passion" section.[11]

The film had a limited release in Thailand cinemas on October 18, 2007, and released in Singapore on October 25.

Soundtrack

The score is composed by Bruno Brugnano, and consists of ambient instrumental tracks.

The song during the opening credits is "Gei Wo Yige Wen" ("Give Me A Kiss") performed by Chang Loo. "Yueliang Daibiao Wo De Xin" ("The Moon Represents My Heart") is the busker's song. "Jinxiao Duo Zhenzhang" ("This Precious Night"), performed by Cui Ping, is played after the story of the Girl in Red and the busker.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cannes archive, retrieved 2007-05-25.
  2. Fortissimo Films catalogue, retrieved 2007-05-25.
  3. Kuaile Gongchang - ARTE
  4. Festival di Venezia di Cannes scuole corsi di cinema sceneggiatura recitazione scuole corsi Roma
  5. cinemad.gr | ο κόσμος του cinema - ΚΑΝΕΣ, ΗΜΕΡΕΣ 7η & 8η
  6. http://cinema.aliceadsl.fr/film/avis_redaction/default.aspx?filmid=FI00017777
  7. (French) Orient Extrême
  8. Edwards, Russell. 2007-05-25. Pleasure Factory, Variety, retrieved 2007-05-25.
  9. Arnold, Wayne. 2007-05-25. The director Ekachai Uekrongtham explores Singapore's underbelly, International Herald Tribune, retrieved 2005-05-25.
  10. Rithdee, Kong. 2007-05-18. The possibility of pleasure, Bangkok Post, retrieved 2007-05-25 (after seven days articles are archived for subscribers only).
  11. Singapore sending five Pusan's way, Hollywood Reporter; retrieved 2007-10-23
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