2 months ago
Singapore’s 13 Little Pictures and Emoumie Pictures has secured 4 world co-production partners for their mythological assemblage scary Strange Fruit, including Indonesia’s Palari Films, Germany’s In Good Company, nan Netherlands’ Sluizer Film Production and Archipelago: Binisaya from nan Philippines.
Directed by Lam Li Shuen and Mark Chua, nan movie has been selected for nan inaugural genre conception of Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). Set successful 11th-century Singapore, nan communicative revolves astir a demigod calved from a yam who is ritually fed upon by villagers. When a mysterious beast washes ashore, nan villagers wantonness him, and he is near pinch only a manipulative outcast by his side.
Co-producers connected nan movie will see Palari Films’ Muhammad Zaidy and Meiske Taurisia, In Good Company’s Roshanak Behesht Nedjad, Sluizer Film Productions’ Anouk Sluizer and Archipelago: Binisaya’s Keith Deligero and Gale Osorio.
The project, which will beryllium changeable successful a operation of 16mm and 35mm film, is produced by Looi Wan Ping and Tan Bee Thiam of 13 Little Pictures, whose credits see Before The Sea Forgets, which screened successful Directors Fortnight 2025, and Netflix scary Revenge Of The Pontianak.
“Strange Root will beryllium our astir eager movie to date. Constructing this assemblage scary mythology, we want to propulsion audiences into a vicious communicative of nan cycles of powerfulness and unit that return guidelines successful our bodies, becoming a portion of us,” said Lam and Chua, who premiered a sold-out cinema capacity Born Of The Yam at this year’s Berlinale Forum Expanded.
“We are thrilled to beryllium moving pinch a squad of knowledgeable producers that understand nan circumstantial taste textures we are exploring, to unearth this nightmare story together.”
The Born Of The Yam performance progressive modified 16mm projectors, immersing audiences successful a techno-mythological ritual to nan yam-born demigod. It forms portion of a larger multi-IP strategy that includes installations, performances and video games, pinch nan movie group to beryllium nan anchor of nan universe.
“Lam Li Shuen and Mark Chua are building a universe, not conscionable a film. Our domiciled arsenic producers is to find partners who tin lucifer that standard of ambition without compromising nan intimacy of their vision. In Palari, In Good Company, Sluizer, and Archipelago, we’ve recovered precisely that: storytellers who understand mythology, assemblage horror, and expanded cinema tin unrecorded together,” said shaper Tan Bee Thiam.
The filmmaking squad intends to fastener financing by October 2026, statesman pre-production successful December, and sprout main photography successful Indonesia successful May 2027. Following HAF, nan task has been invited to transportation astatine nan Critics’ Week Next Step Studio 2026 successful Cannes.
