White Days
︎︎︎Trailer︎SYNOPSIS
Dreaming of a trip to Taiwan but stuck in a city they can’t seem to leave from, three young people get together to create a friendship net that would save them from their inanimate loneliness. An unsterilized black & white image, with a documentary-like gray realism, provides the setting for a series of conversations and situations that have as much everyday nihilism as religious theories bordering on ridicule. With an overwhelming contemporary spirit, and a lucid pop art cinephilia, Tsai Ming-liang and Richard Linklater come together as explicit and essential references for White Days’ main characters, but also for its director, who combines the theme of young lethargic people engaging in sharp dialog –Linkater’s slackers– with the challenging aesthetics that implies taking a wide shot and creating a universe populated by Tsai’s vanishing point.
Vel
Vel Ng
Chris
Yeo Siew Hua
Dan
Daniel Hui
Directed by
Lei Yuan Bin
Cinematography by
Lei Yuan Bin
Written by
Lei Yuan Bin,
Yeo Siew Hua
Producer
Tan Bee Thiam,
Lei Yuan Bin
Editors
Liao Jiekai,
Lei Yuan Bin
Sound Designer
Takuya Katsu
Music Composer
Gesang Martohartono
Arief Yudhanto
Original title
白色时光
International Title
White Days
Duration
92 min / Black and White, Colour
Aspect Ratio
1:1.85
Screening Format
Digital
Sound
Stereo
Year of Release
2009
Language
Mandarin, Hokkien
Subtitles
English
Country of production
Singapore
Production Company
13 Little Pictures
PRESS
“One of the rare films in Singapore cinema that invites the viewer to rethink the aesthetics of cinema.”
– Dr. Gilbert Yeoh
“An impishly enjoyable debut that is notable for being so relaxed, and this in itself is refreshing.”
– Mathias Ortmann
“An experimental feature… that seems like a masterpiece.” – Stefan Shih
– Dr. Gilbert Yeoh
“An impishly enjoyable debut that is notable for being so relaxed, and this in itself is refreshing.”
– Mathias Ortmann
“An experimental feature… that seems like a masterpiece.” – Stefan Shih
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
White Days is a slice of the lives of three young Singaporeans. The story and its characters are inspired by the dreams, hopes and fears of the actors themselves. I hope the film has captured a slice of time in their lives. Through making this film, I’ve discovered that they were all searching for something missing in their lives. Either by going for a religious pilgrimage, watching and making films, or yearning to live somewhere far away from home. Each of their personal stories seems different on the surface, but deep down they are the same… This film is a celebration of their continuous search for the meaning and purpose in life.
FESTIVALS
Audience Award (2nd Prize) at the Asian Hot Shots Berlin Film Festival 2010
IN COMPETITION
Hong Kong International Film Festival 2009IN COMPETITION
Asian Film Festival in Rome 2011
Singapore International Film Festival 2009
Cinemanila International Film Festival 2009
World Film Festival Bangkok 2009
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Films 2010
Cine//B Film Festiva 2010
