{"id":11657,"date":"2024-10-05T16:12:03","date_gmt":"2024-10-05T23:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/?p=11657"},"modified":"2024-10-05T16:12:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-05T23:12:25","slug":"exploring-1990s-singapore-lesbian-club-culture-in-crocodile-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/2024\/10\/exploring-1990s-singapore-lesbian-club-culture-in-crocodile-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring 1990s Singapore lesbian club culture in ‘Crocodile Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unveiling the hidden world of 1990s Singapore lesbian club culture in ‘Crocodile\u200d Rock’<\/h1>\n

An evocative portrait\u2063 of underground culture<\/h2>\n

New \u200cYork-based Singaporean filmmaker is set to direct “Crocodile Rock”<\/strong>, a captivating exploration of the underground lesbian club scene \u200dof 1990s Singapore. \u2062This ambitious film project is being showcased at the Busan Asian Project Market (APM), seeking to shed light on \u200ba vibrant subculture often overlooked in \u200bmainstream narratives.<\/p>\n

Following in the footsteps of Pop Aye<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The director is no stranger to critical \u2063acclaim, with her debut feature “Pop Aye”<\/a><\/strong> (2017) receiving international praise and accolades at prestigious festivals such as Sundance and Rotterdam. \u200bIn\u2063 “Crocodile Rock”<\/strong>, she weaves a complex tale centered around a homeless teenage \u200cdrifter named Pepsi, navigating the trancelike\u200c labyrinth of lesbian clubs.\u2062 Pepsi’s journey intersects with that of a mysterious bar owner and \u2062an idealistic student\u200d activist, forming an intricate narrative tapestry.<\/p>\n

A\u200d personal inspiration<\/h2>\n

“Crocodile Rock”<\/strong> draws its inspiration from Singapore’s \u200clongest-running lesbian bar of the\u2064 same name, which \u200bserved as a haven for the queer\u200c community throughout the \u201990s. \u200cThe filmmaker recounts\u2062 her discovery of the bar’s history during a \u2063dinner party, where an\u200d older lesbian friend \u200dshared\u200d stories of a \u2062vibrant community that thrived within its walls. The realization that such an integral piece of queer history could have remained unknown even a generation\u200d later underscores the importance\u2062 of the\u2062 film’s mission.<\/p>\n

Addressing\u200d queer erasure<\/h2>\n

“Queer erasure \u2064is\u200c real,”<\/strong> the director remarked, reflecting on\u2064 how history tends to obscure or omit queer narratives. The recent repeal of Section 377A, a law that criminalized gay sex, has created an environment\u2064 where telling\u200c these\u2063 stories feels both safer and more urgent. Through “Crocodile Rock”<\/strong>, \u200cthe filmmaker aims to \u200dbridge the gaps in historical queer narratives, ensuring that the collective hopes, struggles, and dreams\u200b of the community \u200dare recognized and remembered.<\/p>\n

Extensive \u2064research\u200c and historical context<\/h2>\n

The filmmaker’s dedication to authenticity is\u200c evident in the extensive research conducted for the\u200d film. Over 20\u200d lesbians \u200bin their 50s and 60s who experienced \u200bthe politically charged \u200d1990s in Singapore were interviewed, providing personal \u2063accounts that\u200d form the backbone\u2062 of the film’s fictional narrative. This period, marked by widespread police raids \u200bon gay\u200c and activist spaces, was influenced\u2062 by fears relating to the AIDS crisis and concerns over Western \u200dliberalism and alternative ideologies.<\/p>\n

Larger themes of love and connection<\/h2>\n

While “Crocodile \u2062Rock”<\/strong> is unapologetically queer, it transcends \u2063specific labels\u200b to address\u2064 universal\u200b themes. “It \u2064very\u2064 much \u2062speaks to larger themes of drifters and outsiders\u2062 searching for love and connection,”<\/strong> the\u200b director noted. Set\u200b against the neon-lit backdrop of an Asian cosmopolis, \u2064the film captures the social \u200balienation and impersonal density \u2063characteristic of urban life, making \u2062it relatable to a broad audience.<\/p>\n

Collaborative \u2064effort and the road \u200dahead<\/h2>\n

Backing this pioneering project\u200c is \u200bproducer Tan Si En, whose film\u2062 “Don\u2019t Cry, Butterfly”<\/a><\/strong> \u200brecently achieved success at \u200bthe Venice Film Festival. “As a queer\u2064 person who grew up in Singapore, my narrative was never \u2064depicted in mainstream \u200dculture,”<\/strong> Tan Si En shared.\u200d “Crocodile Rock”<\/strong> represents a crucial opportunity to bring these \u2064hidden stories to the forefront, ensuring that Singapore’s first\u2063 historical lesbian\u2063 film resonates deeply with viewers.<\/p>\n

Production and \u200bfuture prospects<\/h2>\n

“Crocodile Rock” \u2063is slated to be produced jointly by Tan \u200dSi En\u2019s Momo Film Co\u2064 (Singapore) and the director\u2019s 10 Minutes Later Films (U.S.), with a budget of $1.2 million, of which 20% is currently\u2062 financed. \u2062The team hopes to commence principal photography\u200d between mid \u2062and late 2026. At APM, they are actively\u200d seeking\u200c co-producers, financiers,\u2063 creative heads of departments, and a world sales agent to bring this vision to life.<\/p>\n

The significance of APM<\/h2>\n

The Busan Asian Project Market, running from October \u20635-8 alongside \u200dthe Busan International Film \u2062Festival (October 2-11), serves as\u200c a crucial platform for connecting with film industry professionals. “As the important\u200d hub of Asian and international co-productions, we hope that APM can connect us with a diverse array of film industry professionals,”<\/strong> the producer remarked, expressing optimism for the project’s future prospects.<\/p>\n

Did you enjoy this article?\u200b Share it on your social channels and let us \u200bknow your \u200bthoughts!<\/strong> Don\u2019t miss out on the latest \u200bupdates! Follow us on\u200d social media to stay informed about the newest releases.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Singaporean filmmaker Kirsten Tan’s new project, “Crocodile Rock,” dives into the underground lesbian club culture of 1990s Singapore. Inspired by personal stories and historical events, the film aims to spotlight queer narratives and is being showcased at the Busan APM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11659,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}