The Projector presents: Bugis Street
Singapore, 8 Grange Rd
- Advisory: R21. Mature Theme, Sexual Scenes and Nudity.
- Directed by: Yonfan
- Cast: Hiep Thi Le, Michael Lam Wai-Leung
- Year: 1995
- Duration: 1h 41min
- Language: Mandarin, English
- Subtitles: English
-Pink Screen 2024-
Rated: R21
Only patrons 21 years old and above (as of movie screening date) can watch this film.
—
Opening Film for Pink Screen
Two Screenings Only | Fri 31 May & Sat 15 Jun
BUGIS STREET was first released in 1995, then banned in Singapore for 20 years before being restored and screened at the S’pore International Film Festival in 2015.
Set against the dynamic backdrop of a foregone Singaporean era and breaking ground in its satirical, genre-blending approach, the film is an affecting socio-cultural commentary and a portrait of the 1960s working class Bugis Street district that remains relevant today.
Lian (Hiep Thi Le) is an ordinary teenager who forsakes a domestic life in West Malaysia in pursuit of something greater. She finds employment as a cleaner at the Sin Sin Hotel on Bugis Street, a watering hole for transvestites and transgender sex workers. What unfolds is a journey of self-discovery, as her perceptions are challenged and her eyes are opened to a world of lust and tenderness, indulgence and innocence, intoxication and warmth.
—
“BUGIS STREET stands as a testament to the power of storytelling. Its restoration and subsequent re-releases underscore its enduring relevance, cementing its status as a cinematic masterpiece.” – JOURNEY INTO CINEMA
“Almost three decades on, Yonfan’s BUGIS STREET continues to leave a mark on Singaporean audiences, and remains an important touchstone in the never-ending discourse on conservatism, liberalism and queer rights in our short national history.” – SINEMA.SG