While We Were Not Looking…
… some dastardly person hacked into this site and started redirecting traffic to a page advertising “Hot Links!”. We’re sorry it’s taken this long to figure out how to reclaim what’s ours. But we’re back, finally. And we hope never to disappear again. So what’s happening at Lianain Films? We’ve just returned from a shoot...
Help Liyana Help Atiqah
This is Liyana. When we met her last year, she was living in a tent in Sembawang Park with her husband Fazli, mother, and two young sons. She was also seven months pregnant. Life, as you can imagine, was pretty damn awful. We could tell you so much more about Liyana’s ordeal, but for now,...
Hoping For The Best
I still remember what it was like the last time. The Chief Justice’s measured tones, my clenched fists gradually going numb as it became clear the verdict wasn’t going to be in Vui Kong’s favour. The haunted look in Yun Leong’s eyes. The way the judges stood up and walked out without looking back. Vui...
Yi Yi – One On One With Edward Yang
We had a new film, and a world premiere. And we forgot to blog about it. We’re very sorry. Things have just been a little crazy around here. We did remember to put out an announcement on Facebook though. And we’re very grateful that so many people braved the rain last Sunday to come to...
North Korea – How It All Began
It started with dinner, a grand affair held at the Yangakdo Hotel back in 2008. The occasion – the opening ceremony of the Pyongyang International Film Festival. Our documentary, “Aki Ra’s Boys” had been invited to participate and we’d jumped at the chance to visit a country that had long fascinated us. Our guide was...
North Korea – Cinema of Dreams
Film school, North Korean-style. Two years in the making, and still a work in progress, this project challenged us in ways we never anticipated. We are grateful for family and friends who stood by us and told us to keep going when we wanted to give up. The TV version (below) premiered on Al Jazeera...
Yong’s Story
At first it was just a name. Yong Vui Kong. We first heard it in 2009, at a forum on the death penalty in Singapore. Yong Vui Kong. We were told he was a convicted drug mule from East Malaysia. He had been caught with more than 15 grams of heroin. He would most likely...
Happy Birthday, Yong Vui Kong
Happy Birthday in advance, Vui Kong. When we first heard your name, we never thought you’d live to see 23. Never, at one stage, thought you’d even see 22. But here we are, three weeks into 2011 and you’re still alive. Hope is still alive. Today, a bunch of us got together to sing you...
Second Chances
I remember the first time I heard Frankie’s story. We were sitting in his tiny flat, his little dog staring out at us from the kitchen. Frankie’s voice was calm, his tone, almost self-deprecating. But the tale was a brutal one. Armed robbery, drug peddling, illegal moneylending, a jailbreak, gang fights… the man’s done it...
The Great North Korean Picture Show: The Film School
The Pyongyang University of Cinematic and Dramatic Arts. This was where we hung out last week. The university doesn’t look like much from the outside. But gaining admission into this institution is apparently a big deal in North Korea, a stepping stone to one of the most coveted jobs in the country. Every young North...
Where There’s Smoke
The phone rang just after 11pm. It was James. “Come to Fei Fei,” he said. “Something’s happening here.” “What?” “Just come.” And so, because documentary filmmakers are inherent busybodies, I headed down to the noodle shop near where we live. I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Two fire engines blocked the road outside the...
